Montreal Canadiens management knew they had their man when they hired Martin St Louis on an interim basis.
And for many reasons since, he has established himself as the perfect man for the job. It can be so easy to get swallowed up by the hockey-crazed city that is Montreal when losses pile up. But St. Louis has been able to keep a level head, which has resonated with his players.
Not every night is going to go the way you want it to, but the one thing that Marty is in control of is his emotions and the way he reacts. Sure, he shows his emotions and gets frustrated with calls or penalties especially when the team loses. But the fact that he openly stated that he doesn't address the team after a loss, is very telling of the person he is.
“I try to find the right time to be rational with them (Habs players). Sometimes after a game, you’re not rational. When we lose, I prefer talking to my team the next day, when I’ve had the chance to look things over. When you’re emotional, you’ll usually regret what you say.”… pic.twitter.com/R3YG1PXugO
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 25, 2024
It's weird to say that he has a ton of maturity, of course, he does, he is a hockey hall-of-famer, a father and a husband. But the knowledge and realization that he is best suited to give the team some space after a loss is why he is so special. It isn't easy to chew on a loss and not get things off your chest, but you want to keep things light when the team is disappointed, so it's a wise decision to make.
It's a rebuild, so there will be bumps
So long as St. Louis is behind the bench, I expect that the players are going to stay on the right track. It doesn't mean that there won't be hard losses and plenty of lessons to be learned. But it does mean that whatever happens, Marty has the room and he demands respect from the team because he is courteous and respects them.
St. Louis was hired because he made it to the league the hard way and did things that many likely didn't think he would. So the fact that he is behind an NHL bench, despite having no professional coaching experience, is another shot to prove he can do what others think he might not be able to. There will be hard nights, tough losses and triumphant wins; but the one constant is that Marty will be the level-headed coach that the rebuilding Canadiens need.