To say that Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis is liked by fans would be an understatement.
He falls more into the “beloved” category.
Never before have we seen the spectators so patient and trusting of the Habs’ long-term plan. And much of that stems from the Laval native’s coaching style and personal connection to his players.
In a recent interview with TVA Sports, St. Louis revealed that his approach behind the bench is similar to how he tackled the game as a player.
“If you ask many players who played with me, they will tell you that Martin talked a lot about hockey. I talked a lot with my teammates,” he explained to Jean-Charles Lajoie in French. “As a coach, it’s a bit the same. I try not to give them too much and direct them to the answer.”
“I like to have discussions and know what they think,” he added.
And the proof is in the pudding. For example, the 48-year-old’s impact on forward Cole Caufield has been undeniable. Despite being in a major slump under former coach Dominique Ducharme, Caufield saw a ridiculous boost in scoring when St. Louis came aboard, netting 48 goals in the 82 games that followed his hiring.
“I’m proud of what Cole has done since I’ve been there. I can’t say that it’s my doing,” the Canadiens coach said on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast back in May.
The strategy has also worked with talented young players who struggled to hit their stride before arriving in Montreal.
“Firstly, it’s a fresh start. They have no history with us, so we don’t have an opinion on them. They arrive and can breathe better,” he said. “I saw this with Kirby [Dach] last year. We see it with [Alex] Newhook this year. It’s the same with [Mike] Matheson. It could be the role, the style of play or the approach. It’s a combination.”
St. Louis is hopeful that rookie Juraj Slafkosvsky can follow the same trajectory.
“He’s a team guy. For a first-overall pick, at his age, I think it would be easy for him to be an egoist. I think Slaf understands that there’s no individual more important than the team,” the Canadiens coach said. “He knows we’re trying to help him.”
The Hockey Hall of Famer also revealed that not letting outside “noise” get to him has allowed the pressure to get the best of him.
“I don’t follow social media. I don’t know how patient or impatient they [the fans] are because I’m occupied with what I’m doing,” St. Louis explained. “I follow my own beat based on what I see, not what I hear.”
And ultimately, he has but one goal: “To leave the team in a better position than when I arrived.”
Many would argue that he already has.
Follow Channels and Categories