Martin St. Louis retired as a sure bet Hockey Hall of Famer, but his mind drove him to become the coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup between the Habs and the Philadelphia Flyers, reporters asked the Flyers coach about St. Louis. His answer was especially interesting, considering the position that he finds himself in. We all have come to know him as an out-of-the-box thinker, Torts revealed where that may have come from.
#LetsGoFlyers John Tortorella on #Habs Martin St-Louis: "he drove me crazy as a player because there were so many questions, every shift there was a question. He made me a better coach because you have to be on your toes with him...he is analyzing all the time"
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) January 10, 2024
It's quite apparent that St. Louis's best skill was listening and then he stuck to a system. No matter how outrageous or quirky his methods may be, you can't argue their effectiveness. And it appears that his style is a culmination of all the advice he was ever given, with a modern spin on it and a Stanley Cup ring as a player.
The Brilliance Of Marty’s Mind
I remember seeing a question from the media, the person asked Martin St. Louis something to the extent of - “Do you wish you could have been Slafkovsky’s size?” Marty said no, and like Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Mats Naslund and Henri Richard. They used their smaller size to their advantage.
Marty can relate with the smaller Habs players, but he was and is a hockey player. That sets him apart from a guy who played hockey and then retired. He can coach any hockey player and has been able to get the most out of his players.
St. Louis played with Steven Stamkos, Brad Richards and Vincent Lecavalier. Lecavalier was a high pick, with a frame similar to Slafkovsky’s. And even better than St. Louis knowing Vinny’s style, Lecavalier is always close by; as a special advisor of hockey operations for the Canadiens.
Needless to say, Marty’s mind served him extremely well in his long road to the NHL. As an undrafted NCAA free agent, Marty broke in with the Calgary Flames, then found his footing after being released by the Ottawa Senators, and then bought out by the Calgary Flames. Marty chose to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he played the majority of his illustrious career.
Everything that he has earned, he busted his butt to achieve it. His dogged style comes out in the way he coaches, not only does he have players’ respect, but he is fiery and demands hard work. And refreshingly, unlike Michel Therrien, Claude Julien and Jacques Martin - he lets the kids play.
It seems that Marty's countless questions have made him a great guy to ask questions. The pesky and persistent personality moulded him and he teaches from experience. You constantly see him talking to players and watching over video.
St. Louis is a players coach and his inquistive mind and undying passion to get better each day resonates with the players. They all buy in to what Marty is selling and they know the proof is in the pudding. Hard work and thinking a few steps ahead of your opponent will put you at an advantage over them.