The Montreal Canadiens had their midseason press conference addressing where things stand going into the second half of the schedule.
Kent Hughes answered many questions, but his answer to a question about the Canadiens bench boss Martin St Louis was rather encouraging. When Hughes hired St Louis it was always a calculated move, whether believed to be a risk or not, Hughes isn't one to risk a huge loss. Hiring St Louis was done because of the many things that Hughes has learned about the person behind the hockey hall of fame player.
I'll post a link to the article, just so it's known that this isn't my work, but I want to include the quote from the article. In a recent article by NHL.com about the Habs general manager's mid-season press conference, he praised his head coach. While St Louis is inexperienced, that doesn't mean he doesn't have the tools to be a good NHL coach.
Hughes on the evolution of Martin St-Louis' role with the power play after Alex Burrows left the bench:
"Marty wanted to wait and see, to have a better feel for what he needed. We were prepared to support him in that role. Going forward, I don’t know what we’ll do going into next season. What impresses me is the reason we hired him in the first place, because of the qualities that he brings. It was his analytical mind, his emotional intelligence, his leadership qualities, his hockey IQ. This is somebody who rises up to challenges. He doesn’t shrink, he’s adaptable, he’s bright, and he’s able to make adjustments. We hired a guy without experience. We expect that with each week, with each month, with each year, he [gains] that experience. He’s now been head coach for three years. If you’re that type of personality that he is, you expect that he continues to get better. So, we’ll see what happens in the offseason, whether he feels like he needs somebody or we feel like he needs something."
It's pretty clear that Hughes knew there were plenty of options for the vacant post, but St. Louis was his man. From the get-go, Hughes knew that St. Louis was a special hockey mind, both on and off the ice. Given the fact that he achieved so much on the ice as a player, the mental toughness required to do what he did is immense.
The head coach of the Montreal Canadiens is a role for only a select few, I think that you have either got it or you don't. If St. Louis was unfit for the role, he would have been shown the door long ago. I think that it's as clear as day that Marty has got the team buying in, and the team isn't scratching the surface of their potential. With some big help on the way, the Habs are bound to only go up from here,
Hagens has got to be on Hughes' radar
Boston College and Boston University have treated the Habs organization rather nicely in recent years. Take, for example, Lane Hutson, who played with the BU Terriers, and Luke Tuch, who is down in Laval, and was a teammate of Hutson's at BU. Then there is Jacob Fowler, who is playing with the BC Eagles, a team that has plenty of NHL scouts eyes on them.
One of the brightest players in the 2025 NHL draft class, James Hagens has picked up the first-line centre role for the Eagles, A role that was previously held by San Jose Sharks 2023 first-round selection Will Smith. Hagens has slotted between Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals '23 first-rounder) and Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers '23 first-rounder) and filled the role nicely.
Montreal has some talented forwards, but they want to have some size and skill, to balance out. If the Habs are too small up front they may be pushed around. But if the Tampa Bay Lightning had passed on Brayden Point because he is small, they would be kicking themselves. I think Hagens has the potential to be a player that gives an NHL franchise a tremendous boost - maybe not Point level - but still impactful, nonetheless.
I think Montreal should really consider this guy, if the opportunity presents itself.