In a surprising turn of events, the Montreal Canadiens have announced that they will be keeping coach Martin St. Louis on board for the next three seasons after exercising the two-year option on his contract. This decision comes after St. Louis was initially hired on an interim basis in February 2022 following the dismissal of Dominique Ducharme.
Despite being named head coach at the end of that season, marking his first role behind an NHL bench, St. Louis has achieved a 75-100-26 record as coach as the Canadiens undergo a rebuilding phase. The team has been struggling in recent years, missing the playoffs for the last three seasons and finishing last in the Atlantic Division with a 30-36-16 record this season.
However, despite these challenges, the organization has decided to show their commitment to St. Louis by extending his contract. This news is likely to come as a relief to fans who have been calling for stability and consistency in the team’s coaching staff.
St. Louis, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, has a decorated career that includes winning a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and a Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP in the same year. He retired in 2015 with an impressive 1,033 points to his name.
With this extension, it seems like Montreal is confident in St. Louis’ ability to lead them through their rebuilding process and help them return to playoff contention soon enough.
In conclusion, this news is great for both Montreal fans and St. Louis himself as it gives him more time to continue building and shaping this young roster into a successful one once again.
