Montreal Canadiens need to 'have fun,' get re-inspired, says new coach Martin St. Louis
One day after firing Dominique Ducharme, the Montreal Canadiens newly-appointed interim head coach Martin St. Louis spoke to media on Thursday, saying it's an "honour" to take over the job.
"I grew up here -- I'm a huge Habs fan," said St. Louis, who is from Laval.
Seven years ago, he was "able to disconnect" from the pro game and cherished the time spent with his family, including three boys, he said.
He called it a "dream," however, to take on such a big job in his hometown.
"I'm very blessed to have such a great wife that again allowed me to pursue the thing that I always wanted."
St. Louis spoke alongside executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes.
Despite reaching the heights of the playoff final last year, the Habs are now struggling hard -- they are currently last in the league, have lost 13 of the last 14 games, and have had a string of long-term player absences due to COVID-19 and other reasons.
- READ MORE: Montreal Canadiens fire head coach Dominique Ducharme, name Martin St. Louis as interim coach
Hughes said that St. Louis was hired, despite little coaching experience, because of his "analytical mind" and because of his exceptional playing career, which Hughes has followed closely for decades.
The 46-year-old is an NHL Hall of Famer who spent a decade and a half with the Tampa Bay Lightning, serving as its captain in 2013-2014 and winning the Stanley Cup in 2004.
When asked about coming in with no coaching experience, St. Louis joked at first, saying "thanks, that's nice," with a smile.
On a more serious note, he said that to him, "hockey is hockey" and he believes in continually learning and improving, no matter what position he's in.
"I don't always have the answers, but I know that in life," it's important to seek to improve every day, he said. "The answers are everywhere, you just need to find them."
Someone who comes from a long career coaching a different age group, for example, isn't necessarily well prepared to handle a pro team, he said.
"Hockey is hockey for me," he repeated. "You have to manage the personalities, first. And then pay attention to them," he said.
About bigger theories of coaching, "I don't pay attention to this junk," he said.
He later said he learned as a player to focus and tune out criticism.
"As an athlete, as a human, all that stuff that people want to doubt or talk and say and comment to me -- It's all noise," he said.
"There always been noise. Now, I've always been a guy that blocked the noise and gets after it. And that's what I intend to do."
When asked about his plans for the Habs, which are hugely struggling and are currently last in the league, he said "if there's anything this team needs right now, it's to have fun."
He also said he wants to guide the team to connect more "up here," pointing at his head -- to ask them to refocus mentally on seeing the big picture of the game, rather than doubling down on physical training.
He also said that overly structuring the team and their play is, to him, a mistake.
Under a strict system, "you box players into only certain things they can do," he said.
"And that was probably one of the things that I hated the most as a player is [to] play in a system," he explained.
"I was a great player when I was allowed to make reads, because the best players make the best reads, but if you take the reads out of the equation, those best players become average."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members today during a ceremony at British Columbia's legislature cenotaph commemorating the Second World War's Battle of the Atlantic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters
A child in Texas died Sunday after being swept away in floodwaters as storms swept across the state.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.