En route to Montreal on Wednesday, the day of his appointment and the eve of his very first press conference as head coach of the Canadiens, Martin St-Louis spoke to his former head coach, John Tortorella.
He also spoke with one of his best friends, who, before becoming a brother in arms at the front in the National Hockey League, the American League, at the University of Vermont, then at the amateur level, dreamed of the Habs with him in a neighborhood on the north shore.
Above, listen to an excerpt from the interview with Éric Perrin.
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“Of them p’tits culs from rue Nadeau in Laval who dreamed of playing for the Canadiens,” summarizes Éric Perrin, during a generous telephone interview with TVASports.ca from Daytona Beach, Florida, Thursday morning.
“We started playing when we were 10 years old together. One thing that hasn’t changed is his character. His passion for game. That’s what helped him achieve everything he’s done, and overcome all the obstacles.”
Less talkative than his locker room mate, Perrin says his determination and perseverance were contagious.
“It helped me. Not that I didn’t have a dog, but he spoke for me. He is a leader. He held the other players responsible. I liked my role on the ice. In the bedroom, it was the most expressive. I loved that.
“There was never going to be anyone doing their own thing. You had no choice to be in with Martin. He’s always had that.”
The news of the hiring surprised many, but not those close to St-Louis. Like Vincent LecavalierPerrin was aware that Kent Hughes was eyeing his childhood friend.
“We talked to each other that there might be an opening, but Martin was very careful, he explains. He had spoken to me (Wednesday) followingnoon on his way to Montreal. He told me it was done. I said ‘Mart, this is amazing. On the other hand, you deserve it. You know what you are doing. You’ve been preparing for this for six years.”
No experience, but…
Of course, many analysts and stage managers do not miss the opportunity to recall that St-Louis, who has always worked hard to earn his shoulder pads during his career as a player, has no experience as an NHL coach. With 37 games to go, he alone will not be able to change the trajectory of the ship, which has already hit the iceberg and crossed the point of no return that is exclusion from the playoffs.
“I didn’t have the same reaction as everyone in Montreal, because I know Martin better. Yes, he’s in the big picture with no coaching experience and it’s different to be a player.
“I understand, but Martin was in coaching for the past few years. He didn’t have the pressure he feels now. But still, everyone has to get through it.
“Being an assistant is not the same as being a head coach. Martin has self-confidence. He is prepared, organized, he has a vision, a philosophy, assures Perrin. He has a natural talent for bringing players together and building a relationship with them.
“He was a leader when he was playing. This is the evolution of coaching: you have to be able to reach each player. Before, there was only the way ‘I am the coach, you listen to me’. Today, the new generation is no longer like that.
“The team must rediscover the pleasure of playing” -Martin St-Louis –
Perrin believes that St-Louis has done his homework and that his intelligence, even his passion, compensates for his lack of experience behind the bench of an NHL club.
“They asked him ‘are you ready to take the leap?’ and he replied ‘it’s been six years I’ve been preparing for this’. He watches every NHL game. He was with ‘Torts’ in the middle. It doesn’t get lost.
“He was well aware of the importance of the role and in his voice he was very confident. ‘I’m ready. That’s it, I’m going over there. It was really fun, this conversation. I had soft legs.”
History with the Hughes family
As St-Louis himself maintained during the press conference which confirmed his hiring at the helm of the Bleu-blanc-rouge (8-30-7), “it was a matter of time” before he does not find a job.
For the record, Perrin and St-Louis rubbed shoulders with the father and brother of CH GM, Ryan, at summer camps at John Abbott Cegep, in the West Island. The camp organizer has become a close friend of Mr. Perrin, Sr.
“Kent, before being Vincent’s agent, we met his family when we were younger, in Montreal. There has always been a form of relationship, but Martin, it has always been like that: he has met so many people. At some point, the hockey world knew regarding Martin and his strengths.
“There are so many people who know why he is good for this job. When I saw Kent arrive with the Canadiens, I said to myself ‘it is sure that it will be a good relationship’.
When the Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004, their first ever win, Perrin said St. Louis “kept the loose guys” in the locker room. Several players were struggling with their anxiety in this short-lived series once morest the Calgary Flames.
“He was telling them ‘hey, relax!’. He was very expressive. I remember that what he said gave confidence. I loved watching what he was doing. His approach and preparation were professional.
“He was a guy on a mission. For me, it was not a surprise, because I saw him play all my life. I had never seen him so intense. He applied all his baggage for the biggest ‘show’ in the world. He was the core of the team.
“If there was one guy in the middle of the pack, it was him.”
Photo credit: REUTERS/Marc Serota
The dream player for Tortorella
When he persuaded Tortorella to give him ice cream on a regular basis, St. Louis was right to give his coach a growing role.
“Martin was a dream for ‘Torts’, but Tortorella isn’t going to admit it,” he laughs. Each coach wants a player who will embark on his team philosophy. Martin was the ideal, because the same passion inhabited him, as well as the principle of holding guys accountable for everything and always giving of themselves.
“Martin, when he didn’t have it, he garrochait and he did four things.”
According to Perrin, Tortorella also appreciated the loyalty of St. Louis, who did not seek to question the coach’s strategy, unlike other Bolts players.
“Martin, it was son player. He did exactly what he asked of him. Every guy who came to see him to speak once morest the coach, he told him to shut up and answered them “this is how we are going to play to win and this is what he wants from you, not t ‘disgust’.
“It was the same for me when I arrived. I wasn’t supposed to break through the lineup, but a player injury got me into the fourth line. I played an average of 18 minutes per game. ‘Torts’ gives you what you deserve.
“Guys like Vaclav Prospal and Ruslan Fedotenko were benched every game. He told me ‘go!’. That’s how he won. It’s a rough style and he doesn’t make many friends. That’s how we saw with the transformation of Vincent (Lecavalier). That’s how he became dominant. ‘Torts’ had an influence as soon as he returned.
Not a copy-paste
If Tortorella knew what buttons to push to get the best out of his men, don’t expect St. Louis to advocate a military style as well, Perrin believes.
“I think Martin will have his own style, he suggests. He always wanted to take something from every coach. ‘That, I liked that. That, no. As a player, to build a career, we will take something from everyone
“He’s not going to take everything from Tortorella, he’s going to apply his own mentality, but he’s going to apply a lot of what he learned from Torts to win. The biggest thing in there is his philosophy and how he sees the game. He will pass that on to his players.
“You have to adapt. Everyone has a different mentality. Some are much more intense, others more relaxed. Sometimes too relaxed. Everyone’s potential should be maximized. Martin has that knowledge.”
Perrin also cherishes the dream of leading an NHL team. After a stay in Finland, he became involved in minor hockey in the Daytona Beach area.
