The Montreal Canadiens have extended head coach Martin St. Louis’ contract through the 2026-27 season, recognizing his positive impact on the team’s rebuilding efforts and development of young talent, including guiding Juraj Slafkovsky to a breakout season.
The Canadiens made a big move, folks. They’ve gone ahead and secured Martin St. Louis as their head coach till the 2026-27 season. Yep, you heard that right. His contract was up in the air, set to end in summer 2025, but not anymore.
At just 48, St. Louis is among the league’s younger coaches. Pretty cool, huh? Since he took the reins from Dominique Ducharme during the 2021-22 season, it’s been quite the ride. We’re talking a 75-100-26 record under his belt. And yeah, that includes pulling the Habs from an 8-30-7 record to a slightly better finish last season. This year? They notched up from 68 to 76 points, despite ending on a bit of a downer with those back-to-back losses to the Red Wings.
Now, GM Kent Hughes dropped some hints today. More extensions might be on the horizon after tomorrow’s chat with St. Louis’ crew. Looks like assistant coaches Alexandre Burrows and Trevor Letowski, plus goaltending coach Éric Raymond, might be sticking around. Hughes isn’t looking for any big names to add to the bench. Seems like he’s happy with the team as is, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie.
St. Louis, that guy from Laval, Quebec, never got to play for his hometown team. But coaching them? That’s a yes. Before this gig, his NHL resume was pretty much a special teams consultant spot with the Blue Jackets. Not too shabby for a start, right?
Now, playoffs haven’t been in the picture for him yet. But with a top-10 prospect pool, things are looking up. St. Louis has been a guiding force, especially for Juraj Slafkovsky. The kid nailed a breakout sophomore season with 20 goals and 50 points. Plus, the team’s defense and possession play? Significantly better.
So, the Canadiens believe in St. Louis. They think he’s the guy to lead them into the post-Carey Price era playoffs. It’s a tall order, but with Hughes’ help on the roster, the early signs are promising. St. Louis and the team’s young core seem to be clicking just fine.
