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Martin St-Louis responds to Patrik Laine's jab at him, hints at a change coming

Originally posted on Habs Fanatics | By Elias Adaime | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 8:55 AM ET

At a press conference Tuesday, Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis was asked about the little jab Patrik Laine took at him.

For those who are not familiar with the story, let's recall that at the very beginning of the 4 Nations Tournament, during a media availability, Laine stated that it would be nice for him to play "more than 10 or 11 minutes a night," referring to his limited ice time in recent weeks under Martin St-Louis.

He later admitted that he had also made mistakes, but it was clear the damage had already been done.

In short, back in front of reporters for the first time Tuesday, the Canadiens head coach was asked about the situation and, surprisingly, chose to respond.

Martin St-Louis responds to Patrik Laine's comments

Yes, he heard the comments from his Finnish forward.

"If you play 11 minutes, prove to me that you can play more. My job is to push Patty."
- Martin St-Louis, who also mentioned that there will be a major shift in mentality for the second half of the season.

Players will truly have to earn their ice time, and that's a good thing.

It's possible there will be a small meeting, or at least a discussion, between Laine and St-Louis on this matter.

During the 4 Nations Face-Off, Laine finished the tournament with three points in three games, after recording 18 points in 28 games this season with the Canadiens.

Hopefully, he can have a strong finish to the season in Montreal.

This article first appeared on Habs Fanatics and was syndicated with permission.

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