It’s not easy being a traveling athlete. You’re never in one place for more than a few days at a time, and chances are wherever you’re living isn’t really “home.” That’s the case for 31-year-old Bruin Mark Savard. Originally from Ottawa, his mom and his three kids still live in Canada; he’s there six months out of the year. During hockey season, he lives in a dramatic Navy Yard highrise overlooking Boston Harbor. It’s the ideal pied-á-terre for an athlete: Banknorth is just a quick jaunt across the water, and there are few nightlife distractions in this historic neighborhood.
His building offers the amenities of a hotel (valet, health club, concierge, water taxi) and caters to the globe-trotting Bostonian. But, in the two years he’s been here, Savard turned his home-away-from-home into a welcoming bachelor pad. How? Personal touches mean a lot. This isn’t an overdone showplace where you feel compelled to remove your shoes and lower your voice. On the contrary. Our photographer and I lounged on his sectional sofa while we waited for him to return from practice. On the coffee table sat a The Departed DVD, which Savard later informed us was shot in the building. A Scrabble board briefly tempted us. So did an open bag of Sour Patch kids.
You won’t find fancy works of art here either. Instead, photos of his three kids — one girl, two hockey-playing boys — adorn every available surface. Sculpture? Not so much. Instead, a wet bar with custom-made “Savard’s Tavern” glasses anchors one corner of the living room. And while some of us might hang graduation or wedding photos on our walls, Savard has an enormous framed collection of his hockey cards, from childhood onward. (Quick inspection reveals that, thank God, he bypassed the mullet phase.) In a nod to his adopted hometown, a panoramic shot of Fenway Park hangs above the bar. “I won it at an auction, and it seemed to fit,” Savard says. “Boston’s a great city for sports.”
Maybe so. But it must be difficult for an athlete to hole up in an urban condo, without room to roam free. Savard’s surmounted that obstacle. Did we neglect to mention that there’s an enormous putting green in the master bedroom? This is a man who clearly loves to golf. “My favorite course is TPC at Sawgrass in Florida,” he says. “I try to practice every day.” His entertainment center is festooned with trophies, just as many for golf as hockey. (This year, he missed qualifying for the Canadian Open by one stroke.)
Meanwhile, the foyer is lined, not with antiques, but with every athletic shoe imaginable. A chalkboard sign welcomes visitors to “Savvy’s Kitchen,” where he whips up “anything with chicken, especially ‘chicken parm.’ ” A mahogany dining room table waits at the ready, but he confesses to usually “eating in front of the TV — unless my mom’s visiting.” His bar is a favorite for after-hours parties, stocked with basics: wine, Corona Lite, and Grey Goose. Those personalized pint glasses were also a gift from Mom, who stays in his large guest bedroom when she visits, as do the kids.
His bedroom, aside from the monstrous putting green, is designed for the guy on the go. Dolce & Gabbana belts are slung over the TV stand. (“I didn’t mean to get so many! I ordered some, and they accidentally sent me some more,” he insists.) Cufflinks are perched on his nightstand, along with three jewel-encrusted watches. And ladies, if you’re wondering why he looks so well-groomed, we investigated for you: the master bathroom is stocked with Pantene. On the vanity? Calvin Klein MAN cologne. You’re welcome.
