In a significant development for the Montreal Canadiens, the team has chosen to exercise the option on head coach Martin St. Louis’ contract.
Announced on April 17, the Canadiens have opted to extend St. Louis’ tenure as head coach by activating the two-year option on his deal. This decision comes as St. Louis completes his second full season as coach, initially stepping into the role on February 9, 2022, following Dominique Ducharme’s interim stint. St. Louis was officially promoted to full-time head coach on June 1, 2022.
Martin St. Louis, asked about going into the last year of his contract: “I’ll be here as long as they’ll have me.”
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 17, 2024
Despite having one year remaining on his contract, the Canadiens have decided to secure St. Louis’ services for an additional two seasons, ensuring he remains under contract for a total of three years.
Montreal’s general manager, Kent Hughes, highlighted St. Louis’ approach to coaching, emphasizing his willingness to reflect on team performance and collaborate with various departments, including analytics, to address areas of improvement. Hughes stated, “He doesn’t believe he has all the answers… [St. Louis] is able to reflect on what he’s doing as a coach, what we need to do as a team… and work to come up with solutions.”
Marty leading us to greatness
— Chris (@chrisstilwell16) April 17, 2024
Echoing this sentiment, Canadiens’ executive vice president of hockey operations, Jeff Gorton, expressed confidence in St. Louis’ continuous growth and leadership within the franchise. Gorton remarked, “There’s not a day goes by where we’re not happy that he’s at the helm… He’s the point person for our franchise and we’re pretty proud of that.”
The decision follows St. Louis’ recent affirmation of commitment during a year-end press conference, where he reiterated his passion for coaching and desire to remain with the Canadiens for the foreseeable future.
Since assuming the role of head coach, St. Louis has amassed a record of 75-100-26. Despite the Canadiens’ failure to secure a playoff spot in his tenure, fans have expressed enthusiasm and support for St. Louis’ leadership on social media platforms.
This is FANTASTIC!!! MSL is doing great things with the young core players for the #GoHabsGo
— King_of_the_Habs83 (@KHabs83) April 17, 2024
Looking ahead, the Canadiens head into the off-season with most key players already under contract. Only a few pending free agents remain, including Tanner Pearson and Colin White as unrestricted free agents, and Arber Xhekaj and Jesse Ylonen as restricted free agents. Additionally, Montreal holds two first-round picks in the upcoming 2024 NHL draft, providing opportunities to strengthen their young core.
Leave a Reply