Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes began Wednesday’s end-of-season press conference with a piece of good news for fans.
Before taking any questions, Hughes revealed that the Canadiens would be extending the contract of head coach Martin St. Louis by another two years.
“I would like to announce that we’ve informed Martin St. Louis over recent days that we have the intention of extending his contract,” the GM said in French. “We’ve decided to exercise that option… which means Martin will be with us for the next three years.”
Les Canadiens ont choisi d'exercer l'option de prolonger le contrat de Martin St-Louis pour deux années supplémentaires. L'entraîneur-chef sera de retour pour les trois prochaines saisons.
The Canadiens have chosen to exercise the option on Martin St-Louis' contract for two more… pic.twitter.com/MrokM7HKZd
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 17, 2024
Executive VP Jeff Gorton later chimed in, highlighting St. Louis’ importance to the rebuilding club.
“He’s very respectful. He carries himself very well in front of the team,” Gorton said. “He’s very impressive and he’s the right person for what we’re doing.”
St. Louis, who joined the Canadiens on an interim basis halfway through the 2021-22 season, was asked about the prospect of extending his contract after Tuesday night’s shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
The Laval native made it clear that coaching was more than just a job for him.
“I love what I’m doing. And I love my life with this hockey team. It’s a passion, not a job. And I’m going to be here until they don’t want me anymore,” he said.
Discussing his philosophy behind the bench, St. Louis also touched on his individualized approach to getting the most out of his players.
“I coach a team but I also coach the players. And I don’t coach everyone the same way. Each player is at a different stage in their career. There are things where you will be more patient with some players and less patient with others,” the 48-year-old explained in French.
“When you put all that together, you understand where your team is going in its evolution.”
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