Savage

MONTREAL -- Montreal Canadiens forward Brian Savage was staring into space after an hour-long optional skate at the Molson Centre on Tuesday.

He knew concentrating on hockey would be difficult, considering his friend Saku Koivu was sitting at home resting up for a battle against abdominal cancer.

Then came word of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, and hockey seemed irrelevant.

"It just casts a shadow on training camp," said a despondent Savage. "Another shadow, I should say."

The Canadiens are not in a very chatty mood these days. They stepped on the ice as a team for the first time Tuesday and, rather than displaying the exuberance typical of the start of a new season, there was a subdued tone to everything.

Savage says Koivu has insisted the team worry about its job on the ice, but he also acknowledges it won't be easy.

"I went out on the ice Friday, and I just wasn't there," Savage said. "He told us to go through all the exercises, and he knows everyone is thinking of him, but he said to concentrate on hockey."

Savage recently visited with Koivu, who has been released from a hospital and is home resting. He says the resilient center's spirits have been lifted by support from his fans. Savage delivered 8,000 supportive e-mails to Koivu personally, and said it had a positive effect.

Koivu is now eating soft foods. He was not allowed to eat a thing for four days when he was admitted to the hospital, causing him to look extremely thin and sickly, Savage said. But Koivu "could look a whole lot worse," in Savage's estimation, now that he is back home.

"He's at home, just resting up and trying to conserve his energy for the battle he's about to enter," Savage said of a man who has endured nothing but bad luck since the second year of his career. "It's going to be just another battle for him, the toughest battle of his life."

The Canadiens will release further information on Koivu's health Wednesday, when the team holds its first full mandatory workout. That is when the full impact of Koivu's loss truly will be felt.

"I'm one of the older guys here and I've been here one of the longest times," Savage said of the leadership void created by Koivu's absence, "so I'll definitely have my say."

Other players were equally upset, but attempted to put on brave faces. Martin Rucinsky said Koivu's presence will be missed as much away from the rink.

"He's one of my best friends, usually we go out to dinner or to movies on off days. Now he's in a room fighting for his life," said Rucinsky. "I found out ... I almost dropped the phone, I couldn't believe what I just heard.

"I went to see Saku right away, and he now seems to be in good spirits, which is good. He's a tremendous leader, a fighter, so hopefully he can transfer that to this battle."