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Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky and forward Ivan Demidov and defenseman Lane Hutson celebrate Slafkovsky’s goal against the Vancouver Canucks (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

Martin St. Louis & the Canadiens’ Power of Belief

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Nov 13, 2025 12:15 PM ET

It’s not often you hear an analyst like Garry Galley sound genuinely delighted about a team. But that’s what happened when he talked about the Montreal Canadiens recently. According to him, and he’s not alone, the Canadiens are a young, confident group that’s starting to look like something far greater than a rebuilding project.

In the video below, Galley’s key point was simple and as old as the hills: success builds on itself. Once a young team like Montreal gets a real taste of winning, everything changes. The Canadiens have moved beyond moral victories and into real, tangible growth. They’re not sneaking up on teams anymore — they’re earning their success. And they’re doing it while playing a brand of hockey that feels free, creative, and fearless.

The Canadiens Are Playing with “House Money” — But Not Really

Galley described the Canadiens as if they were playing with house money. It’s a nice metaphor, but it’s not entirely true. The fact is, they have earned every bit of what they’re getting. That illusion of looseness comes from confidence, not luck. The players look relaxed because they trust their coach, their system, and each other.

Head coach Martin St. Louis deserves most of the credit. He’s given his team an identity. Not by imposing strict systems or fear-based accountability, but by creating trust. As Galley said, St. Louis “doesn’t listen to outside noise.” That’s no small thing in a city like Montreal, where every shift is scrutinized and every slump feels like a crisis.

Instead of reacting to headlines, St. Louis filters the noise, interprets it, and turns it into something useful. His players know exactly where they stand. He gives them the freedom to make mistakes, but he also sets quiet expectations — standards that are felt more than announced.

The Canadiens’ Young Players Are Growing Up

That’s what makes this version of the Canadiens different from the one fans saw two years ago. The young talent — players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Kaiden Guhle, and Juraj Slafkovsky — are not just flashing skill; they’re learning the subtleties of the game. Galley noted that several of them are “starting to develop nice 200-foot games.” That’s not just development — that’s culture.

You can sense a maturity creeping in. The Canadiens still make mistakes, but they recover faster. They play for each other. That shared commitment is what turns potential into performance.

The Canadiens Goaltending Story Nobody Expected

Galley also pointed out one of the season’s quietest success stories: the goaltending of Samuel Montembeault. Once considered a stopgap, he’s become a stabilizer. Although Montembeault’s season has been far from perfect, St. Louis has treated him like a true No. 1. He’s not being coddled, but he is being trusted. That trust matters. As Galley said, “You lose one game, you lose it — I might lose it. But Marty doesn’t do that.”

It’s another example of how belief spreads inside a room. St. Louis’s calm has become contagious. His players know that one bad game doesn’t define them. That’s how you build consistency — and that’s what the team is finally showing.

What’s Really Building with the Canadiens?

What’s happening here goes beyond systems or stats. The Canadiens are building emotional intelligence as a hockey team — learning how to win, lose, and learn without panic. That’s what turns a rebuild into a rise.

Montreal might not make a deep playoff run this season, but they’re learning the habits of teams that eventually do. They’re fun to watch because they care, and they care because their coach has taught them that belief is a skill, too. That’s the story in la belle province: belief, built one shift at a time.