After weeks of anticipation following the Montreal Canadiens’ last-place finish, the interim tag is off and the man behind the bench is finally here to stay.
Martin St. Louis put pen to paper on a three-year contract to become the 32nd head coach in Montreal Canadiens history on Wednesday. The Hockey Hall of Famer revived hope within the Habs’ fan base despite one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
The 46-year-old Laval, Que. native, while conscious that there is a lengthy process in front of him, says he relishes the three-year opportunity to work with general manager Kent Hughes and vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton to rebuild the team.
“It gives me time and an opportunity to build something,” St. Louis said about the length of his contract. “It’s not something that’s done in a day but I believe that we’ve been making strides in the last two-three months last season, we won’t be starting from scratch. It will be about progressing one step at a time.”
Quickly turning the team into a contender is not part of St. Louis’s long-term plans. The Canadiens are already a young squad and plan on getting younger after the NHL entry draft, where the team notably holds the first overall pick. The draft is July 7 and 8 at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
Under St. Louis, the Habs finished out the season with a 14-19-4 record. The Canadiens, who were Stanley Cup finalists in 2021, finished last in the NHL this past campaign with a 22-49-11 record.