Martin St. Louis’s Coaching Style Fits Young Canadiens Roster

Martin St. Louis retired with an Art Ross, a Hart, three Lady Byng Memorial Trophies, a Ted Lindsay Award, and one Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Martin St. Louis has been the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens since 2022 after his Hall of Fame playing career.

When Montreal hired him, he was coaching junior hockey. This was a unique hiring decision and a surprise to the high-pressure hockey market in Montreal. Aside from a consulting position with the Columbus Blue Jackets, he had never coached professional hockey. Since he’s been in the position, he has provided the leadership, stability, and skill to propel this team deep into the playoffs.

The St. Louis Effect

St. Louis brings a player-centered leadership style to his coaching. He promotes a creative offensive style by building relationships with his players. St. Louis said that it is impossible to take the player out of him. This is reflected in how his players speak about him. Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said, “He’s our leader, and everyone would do anything for him.”

In his tenure, St. Louis has demonstrated time and time again that he is not the average NHL coach. Whether it’s quoting “The Wolf of Wall Street” after Game 7 victories or “incredible” pre-game speeches that players will “remember for the rest of [their] careers”, it’s clear that Martin St. Louis has the room.

Similarly, Montreal Canadiens president Jeff Gorton said that the first time he saw St. Louis address the team, he knew the players would like him.

Given that the Habs are the youngest team in the playoffs, this coaching staff is facing unique challenges. Between managing a rookie goaltending tandem and the team’s average age of 26, St. Louis needs to find a key balance in its involvement. Notably, St. Louis emphasized the importance of not overcoaching their developing young talent.

While the Montreal Canadiens are an incredibly skilled team, they couldn’t have gotten this far on skill alone.