Montreal Canadiens: Martin St. Louis Opens Up Ahead Of 2023-24 Season

The Montreal Canadiens announced their final two cuts ahead of their regular season debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thanksgiving Monday. Martin St. Louis has been a busy man ever since, with an interview by L’Antichambre on Quebec TVA Sports Television, followed by another with Eric Engels of Sportsnet.

Engels had an in-depth interview with the Canadiens bench boss, and he wrote about it. They touched on an array of different topics, and we will unload all the points that really stood out.

Below are some of the points that St. Louis addressed during his interview with Engels. It was very refreshing, to say the least, and the answers that he gave, were exact proof of why he was appointed the Canadiens head coach. He is a brilliant hockey mind, and the way he coaches is revealing of his playing days, and how he enjoyed being coached.

Providing Time To Develop Is Crucial

The first thing that stood out, sits atop his article, and it was very telling of his approach along with Canadiens management to the rebuild. He was adamant about the importance of taking the right amount of time for players to develop. It is very exciting to hear because it really shows how much attention to detail and scouting was put into the decisions to draft Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in 2022, and David Reinbacher fifth overall at the draft in June.

Allowing the players to take the time they need to develop, without any worries about being rushed, is the perfect way to build a winning culture and philosophy. Players will reach their potential, some slower than others, but when given the time they need, the results are usually pretty good. When players are rushed or given up on early, they could risk developing poorly or being given up on too early, which the Habs have been making teams regret doing.

Taking Another Big Step In Year Two

St. Louis explained why he feels the lessons learned from last year will help carry the players in the right direction in year two. He stated that there are more dynamic concepts that the team is working on, and the familiarity gained from last year will be positive for chemistry. Another step forward is necessary for the growth and improvement of the team, and the new concepts and plays that will be integrated will help the team keep the forward momentum rolling ahead.

It’s obvious that the first year was a big year of learning for all parties, but it was an important one for the Canadiens. The learning and development were a welcomed sight and the philosophy was huge for steering the ship back on the right path. Putting everything together and finding new ways to beat teams will be a great way to continue developing the culture.

Coaching Is A Bit Like Parenting

When Engels prodded St. Louis about how he would instill a winning culture in his players, he likened treating his players like family. The way he raises his kids is how he wants to coach, and that is with honesty and holding players accountable for mistakes. But he also knows the importance of teaching the players, and he knows that it won’t always be fun and loose, there will be many instances where the cold hard truth will be needed.

The most important aspect of the entire process is for the group to absorb all of the coaching and advice like a sponge. Teachable moments won’t always be fun, and Marty was transparent about the fact that he will demand a lot. He will have high expectations but will give each player the guidance necessary to reach their potential.

St. Louis Is The Coach, It’s The Players Team

He was open about the fact he does hold players accountable, but he also gives them their space and privacy. It’s important to him that the players feel that the team is theirs and that they hold one another accountable, establishing a culture that will help the team find their identity. They need to have confidence and a feeling that they can try different things on the ice, without worrying about making a mistake.

Something that was interesting was his statement about the fact that he isn’t coaching the team, he is coaching the players, in a way that earning his confidence is essential. He wants the players to run things, as many of the great teams do that. The Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning are perfect examples, when they have a power play, the personnel that will hop over the boards is known before the coach talks. Attributing success to the team’s ability to coach itself, and have the coach there for any advice or questions.

When The Team Coaches Itself, Success Is Imminent

Further supporting the importance of the team coaching itself, St. Louis touched on the fact that he sits back and sometimes lets situations unfold. The veterans’ importance comes when there’s a mistake on the ice, and after a shift, they give advice on how to avoid doing the same thing next time. He was open about the fact that some things can be left, while others may need to be addressed more immediately.

He walks a line of not overcoaching, in the interest of allowing players to discuss what didn’t work, and fix it on the fly. The best way to assess if systems and coachable moments are being absorbed and utilized and when mistakes happen. When players work things out amongst themselves and show improvement, that’s a good indicator that the group is buying in.

These are the first five points, but the interview was quite in-depth. I included the start of the interview questions, because they focused, for the most part, on development, coaching and instilling a culture to lead the team through the rebuild. For the rest of the article check out Engels’ work with Sportsnet.

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