Recently named interim head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Martin St-Louis wants to be a “very demanding” coach, wants to bring back the pleasure of playing and is burning with the desire to prove himself.
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are banking on the former glory of the Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning to stabilize the Habs’ performance. At least, until the end of the season: at 46, St-Louis inherits a first coaching position in the NHL, a mandate for the moment temporary if we trust the title “interim “.
“I don’t want to be the guy who bets once morest Martin St-Louis,” Hughes repeated in a press briefing, visibly convinced of having found the candidate who meets all his expectations.
Pierre-Paul Poulin / Le Journal de Montreal / QMI Agency
Here’s what St-Louis said of interest during his first Montreal media storm as a member of the Canadiens.
- On his lack of experience:
“It’s something I’ve been preparing for for regarding ten years. […] I don’t need promises. Give me a chance and I’ll show you what I can do. […] Things always work out. Give me an opportunity and I’ll give you everything.”
Pierre-Paul Poulin / Le Journal de Montreal / QMI Agency
“I know, that I have no experience. But I have a lot of them on the bench, in a room, on the ice. I know how all players feel. I was in the minors, on a 4th row, in the all-star game. Hockey is hockey to me. I’m not afraid of this jump-the. I know that I will improve every day.”
- On his interim position and the current ranking of the Canadiens:
“I don’t come here as a substitute teacher. I come here to show what I can do. We’ll deal with the rest this summer, but I plan to be here for a very long time.”
“Me, I like that, the challenges. One is the Montreal Canadiens. Two, I’m the head coach. These are two good reasons to stop whatever you’re doing and seize the opportunity. There are so many positives, I don’t stop at the rankings, it’s not important. If you are not ready to go through obstacles, you never have a chance to grow. If you just want easy things, it’s hard to grow as a human. I’m really excited regarding this challenge.”
- Listen to Benoit Dutrizac’s interview with Serge Savard, Former GM of the Montreal Canadiens on QUB radio:
Pierre-Paul Poulin / Le Journal de Montreal / QMI Agency
- On his way of managing and what he wants to install within the Canadian:
“I think I’m going to be a very demanding coach, but fair. Not just physically demanding, but also mentally. Ask them to understand the game. It’s up to me to give them the tools to help them do that. Not just on an individual basis, but also to play better as a team. I will be a student of the game. I don’t always have the answers, but in my life I know that I always find them.
“What this team needs right now is to have fun. And at the pee-wee level, they all have to fun. So maybe I’m the best person to play this role. Doubts are just noise. I will continue to be judged, but it is not important.
“I watch a lot of hockey. I’ve been preparing for this for 10 years. I have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t. To play the way you want, everyone has to play together. I have a plan, but it’s impossible for me to give them everything at once. My goal is to take things one step at a time. I want them to have air, to breathe, to have fun. I want the players to be mentally engaged and teach them what it is to play as a team.
“The culture and the environment, their own pride, are the keys to convincing the players to play with a little pride. They hurt their careers, their image. How to measure effort? It’s not just physically, but mentally, being able to absorb information and act on it. Did I give the same effort to the game 53 or 82 knowing that we weren’t making the playoffs? It’s up to the coach to keep the standards [de performance].»
“I’m sure I can do whatever I want. There are a lot of things that will have to happen for the veterans to be in the stands. I’m a positive and very convincing guy, and I know I’m going to be able to get them on my side and make them give their maximum effort.
- On the difference between a system and a concept:
“The systems, it locks the players and does not allow them to do the appropriate readings. A concept, you allow them to make decisions and do the readings more freely. But there is always a structure, even in a concept. I hated playing in a system, since it limited my decisions. I prefer that they occasionally misread in a concept, [pas] that they take no risks and never trust their instincts.”
- On what he can learn from current assistant coaches and past relationships:
“I want to observe how they coach, their philosophy, I want to be ‘challenged’. You have to convince the players. As coaches, we have to convince ourselves too. I don’t come like a dictator: I want to learn from others. I’ve always been a team guy and I’m very excited to work with these guys.”
Pierre-Paul Poulin / Le Journal de Montreal / QMI Agency
“When you evolve as a human, a coach, a player, you see those who do things better than you and you can take things from those people, apply them to continue to improve yourself.”
- Listen to Jean-François Baril’s column at the microphone of Mario Dumont on QUB Radio:
- On what his mother, who died, would have thought of this appointment, and what it means for his father, to see his son behind the bench of the Canadian:
“I’m sure my mother is looking at me with a smile. She always told me to show them what I might do. And I did it once more. It’s a special moment for my father too. He grew up in Mont-Laurier, in a family of 14 children. They were watching the game at the TV store, since they didn’t have a TV. My father is a fan of the Canadiens. For him, seeing his son behind the bench, I know he’s proud of me. It’s something special to have been a fan of the Canadiens and now to be part of the organization. I will be able to vent to him, so that I leave the frustrations behind me and start each day of work with a new positive outlook.
