Martin St. Louis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martin St. Louis
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2018
St. Louis with the Tampa Bay Lightning in April 2011
Born	(1975-06-18) June 18, 1975 (age 50) Laval, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	182 lb (83 kg; 13 st 0 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Calgary Flames Tampa Bay Lightning Lausanne HC New York Rangers
Current NHL coach	Montreal Canadiens
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1997–2015
Coaching career	2022–present

Martin St. Louis (born June 18, 1975) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Martin St. Louis was never officially drafted by an NHL team.

Despite this, he played an amazing 1,134 games. He scored 391 goals and 1,033 points in his NHL career. His journey started with the Calgary Flames in 1998 and ended with the New York Rangers in 2015. He is best known for his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2004. He also played briefly for HC Lausanne in Switzerland. In 2018, he was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Many people think St. Louis is one of the best undrafted players ever. On January 17, 2017, his jersey number 26 became the first to be retired by the Lightning.

Martin St. Louis was a star player in college for the Vermont Catamounts. He earned special honors for three years in a row (1995-1997). In 1995, he was named the best player in his college league. As a professional, St. Louis played in six All-Star Games. In the 2003–04 season, he won the Lester B. Pearson Award and the Hart Memorial Trophy. These awards are for the NHL's most valuable player, chosen by players and the league. He also won his first Art Ross Trophy that year for leading the league in scoring with 94 points.

St. Louis has won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times. This award is for the NHL's most gentlemanly player. In 2013, at age 37, he won his second Art Ross Trophy. This made him the oldest player to lead the NHL in scoring. He also led the NHL in assists in two seasons (2003–04 and 2012–13).

On the international stage, St. Louis played for Team Canada many times. He was part of the team that won the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He also won two silver medals at the World Championships. In the 2009 event, he was named an all-star for leading in scoring. St. Louis was a two-time Olympian. He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2014 Winter Games.

Early Life and First Steps in Hockey

Martin St. Louis was born in Laval, Quebec, Canada. His parents are Normand and France St. Louis. He also has a sister named Isabelle.

As a young boy, St. Louis played in the 1988 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. Even though he led his league in scoring, he was not chosen for a provincial team. He played one season of junior ice hockey for the Hawkesbury Hawks in 1992–93. In just 31 games, he scored 37 goals and 87 points.

Playing Career

College Hockey Journey

When St. Louis played in college, he was listed at about 5 feet 9 inches tall. He often found it hard to get noticed for his skills. Many teams showed little interest in him. However, several National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools wanted him to play for them. The University of Vermont Catamounts convinced him to join their hockey program.

In his first year (1993–94), he had 51 points in 33 games. He was named to the East Coast Athletic Conference's All-Rookie Team. In his second year (1994–95), St. Louis was one of the top scorers in the NCAA. He had 71 points in 35 games. He was named an All-Star and an NCAA All-American for the first of three years. He also won the ECAC Player of the Year award.

St. Louis became team captain in his third year. He scored 85 points in 35 games. He tied his friend and teammate Éric Perrin for the NCAA scoring lead. They, along with goalie Tim Thomas, helped the Catamounts win their first ECAC hockey championship. St. Louis scored the winning goal in a game that sent them to the Frozen Four. They lost in double overtime in the national semi-final.

St. Louis was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for two years. NHL teams became interested in him in 1996. They offered him money to leave college and turn professional. But he decided to finish his final year of college. His scoring dipped a bit in 1996–97, with 59 points in 36 games. St. Louis finished as Vermont's all-time leading scorer with 267 points. He still holds this record today. He also holds the school record for 176 assists. The University of Vermont put him in its athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2016, the University of Vermont retired his jersey number 8.

Starting with the Calgary Flames (1998–2000)

The big offers from NHL teams that St. Louis hoped for never came. Only the Ottawa Senators gave him a tryout before the 1997–98 NHL season. When they let him go, St. Louis signed a two-year deal with the Cleveland Lumberjacks. This contract allowed him to leave if an NHL team offered him a deal. He scored 50 points in 56 games for Cleveland. This caught the eye of the Calgary Flames. They signed him on February 18, 1998. He was sent to their minor league team, the Saint John Flames. There, he scored 26 points in 25 games. He then added 20 points in 20 playoff games.

St. Louis made the Calgary roster for the 1998–99 season. He played his first NHL game on October 9, 1998. He scored his first goal on October 20. He started playing with Calgary's top forward, Theoren Fleury. But he was soon moved to a lower line and often didn't play. He only played 13 games in Calgary. He spent most of the season in Saint John, leading his AHL team with 28 goals and 62 points.

He started the 1999–2000 season with Saint John. But he was called back to Calgary after scoring 26 points in 17 games. St. Louis finished his first full NHL season with 3 goals and 18 points in 56 games. The Flames were happy with his progress. But the team's management changed that summer. The new leaders were not interested in keeping St. Louis. The Flames offered him to other teams in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft. When no one picked him, the team ended his contract. He became a free agent.

Becoming a Tampa Bay Lightning Legend (2000–2014)

St. Louis with the Tampa Bay Lightning in January 2006.

A few teams were interested in St. Louis. He chose to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He believed they would give him the most chance to play in the NHL. He played his first game with them on October 6, 2000. He struggled at first, not scoring a goal for six weeks. He sometimes found himself out of the lineup again. St. Louis realized he was at a turning point in his career. He decided to trust his own hockey instincts. He scored his first goal of the season on November 22, 2000. He finished the season with 18 goals, 22 assists, and 40 points in 78 games. Most of these points came after December 1.

In the middle of the 2001–02 season, St. Louis was leading the team with 16 goals. But he broke his leg on January 23, 2002. This happened after a hit from Josef Melichar of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Because of this, he played in only 53 games that season, finishing with 35 points.

He had a fantastic season in 2002–03. He finished fourth in team scoring with 70 points. He tied Vincent Lecavalier for the team lead with 33 goals. He also had 37 assists. He led the team in plus-minus at +10. He played in his first NHL All-Star Game. St. Louis won a puck control event and was second in the fastest skater event. He scored his first career hat-trick on January 30, 2003. In the 2003 playoffs, Tampa Bay won its first playoff series ever. They beat the Washington Capitals. St. Louis scored three game-winning goals, including an overtime goal that won the series. They then lost in the second round to the New Jersey Devils. He led the team with 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 11 playoff games.

St. Louis had an even better season in 2003–04. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's top scorer with 94 points (38 goals, 56 assists). His plus-minus of +38 led the league. He scored his 100th career goal on February 17, 2004. He led the 2004 playoffs with 15 assists. He finished with 24 playoff points in 23 games. He led the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Finals against his old team, the Calgary Flames. He scored the overtime winning goal in game six against Miikka Kiprusoff. This forced a seventh game. The Lightning won game seven 2–1, winning their first Stanley Cup.

St. Louis won several awards after that season. He was named a first team All-Star. Players voted him the winner of the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL's most valuable player. He also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player. St. Louis was only the eighth player in NHL history to win the Art Ross, Hart Trophies, and the Stanley Cup in the same season.

The 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to a labor dispute. St. Louis spent that time playing in Europe. He signed with HC Lausanne in Switzerland. He scored 25 points in 23 games. When the NHL started again in 2005–06, St. Louis signed a six-year contract with the Lightning. He scored 30 goals that season, but only 61 points overall.

The 2006–07 season was St. Louis' best scoring year. He reached over 100 points for the first time. He finished with career highs in goals (43) and points (102). He played his 500th career game on February 9, 2007. He became the first Lightning player to play in three All-Star Games. He was also the first to score a goal in the All-Star event. He was named to the second All-Star team after the season.

St. Louis became an alternate captain in 2007–08. He made his fourth All-Star Game appearance that season. He had 83 points. He scored his 500th career point on March 19, 2008. He led the Lightning with 30 goals, 50 assists, and 80 points in 2008–09. This earned him his fifth All-Star appearance.

St. Louis with the Tampa Bay Lightning in February 2012

St. Louis finished fifth in the league with 94 points in 2009–10. He had two 11-game scoring streaks, the longest in team history. He was named to the second All-Star team. He had only 12 penalty minutes that season. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player.

He won the Lady Byng Trophy again in 2010–11. He made his sixth All-Star Game appearance. He was named to the second All-Star team for the third time. He finished second in league scoring with 99 points (31 goals, 68 assists). He was a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy for the second time.

The 2011–12 season was the first under a new four-year contract. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman praised St. Louis' importance to the team. St. Louis had a long "ironman" streak, playing every game since 2005. This streak ended at 499 games in December 2011. He was hit in the face by a shot from a teammate during practice. He broke bones in his face and sinuses. But he only missed five games because of the injury. St. Louis, at 36, finished the season with 74 points (25 goals, 49 assists) in 77 games.

In the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, St. Louis led the NHL with 43 assists. His 60 points were enough to win his second Art Ross Trophy. After the season, he was named a second team All-Star. With only 14 penalty minutes, St. Louis also won his third Lady Byng Trophy.

The Lightning named St. Louis the ninth captain in team history before the 2013–14 season. He replaced Vincent Lecavalier. St. Louis played his 1,000th NHL game on November 19, 2013. He is the 286th player in NHL history to reach this milestone. He is only the 16th undrafted player to do so since the NHL Draft began in 1969. In his 1,000th game, he got an assist. St. Louis set a career high by scoring four goals in a game on January 18, 2014. His 600th career assist came two weeks later.

Playing for the New York Rangers (2014–2015)

St. Louis as a member of the Rangers in 2014

In January 2014, Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman did not include St. Louis on Canada's team for the 2014 Winter Olympics. St. Louis was later added to the team when Steven Stamkos was injured. At the same time, St. Louis asked to be traded from Tampa Bay. He had a clause in his contract that let him choose where he could be traded. He reportedly only wanted to go to the New York Rangers. He had first asked for this trade in 2009.

The Lightning agreed to his request. St. Louis was sent to New York on March 5, 2014. In return, the Lightning got Ryan Callahan and several draft picks. St. Louis later said that being left off the Olympic team at first was the main reason he wanted to leave. He felt a lack of respect from Yzerman. St. Louis also said he was sorry for how this affected his relationship with the fans in Tampa.

St. Louis struggled to score in his first games with the Rangers. He went 14 games without a goal. He scored only one goal in 19 regular season games with New York. He finished the season with 30 goals combined from both teams. He also had seven assists, for 69 points total. On May 8, his mother, France, passed away from a heart attack. This made his playing in the playoffs uncertain. He chose to play after talking with his father. The Rangers players supported St. Louis. He became the team's focus. He led the Rangers as they came back from being down 3–1 in a series to win in seven games. They reached the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals. St. Louis led the team with 8 goals in the playoffs and had 15 points. But the Rangers lost the final to the Los Angeles Kings.

St. Louis returned to the Rangers for his last NHL season in 2014–15. He was named an alternate captain. St. Louis returned to Tampa Bay on November 26. He received a video tribute and a standing ovation from the fans. Two days later, St. Louis got a goal and an assist against the Philadelphia Flyers. This helped him reach 1,000 points in his career. He became the sixth undrafted player in NHL history to do so. St. Louis faced the Lightning again in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final. Tampa Bay won that series. St. Louis finished the 2015 playoffs with 1 goal and 6 assists in 19 games.

The Rangers did not offer St. Louis a new contract. Even though he wanted to return, he announced his retirement from professional hockey on July 2, 2015.

Representing Canada

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's ice hockey
Winter Olympics
Gold	2014 Sochi
World Championships
Silver	2008 Canada
Silver	2009 Switzerland

After his MVP season in the NHL, St. Louis joined Team Canada for the first time. He played in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He scored a goal and an assist, helping Canada win their first game against the United States. Overall, he scored four points in six games as Canada won the World Cup. Many players from that team also played in the 2006 Winter Olympic tournament. St. Louis played in his first Olympic Games. The team struggled to score goals and finished in seventh place. St. Louis scored two goals and had one assist in six games.

St. Louis played in the World Championships twice. He first played in the 2008 tournament in Canada. He played in all nine games for Team Canada, scoring ten points. Canada reached the final but lost to Russia in overtime, winning a silver medal. He returned for the 2009 World Championship in Switzerland. St. Louis led the tournament in scoring with 15 points. Canada met Russia again in the final, but lost 2–1, getting another silver medal. St. Louis was named to the tournament's all-star team. He was chosen as a reserve for Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics. On February 6, 2014, he was chosen to replace an injured teammate for the 2014 Winter Olympics. He played in five of Canada's six games. St. Louis won an Olympic gold medal with Canada in a 3–0 victory over Sweden.

Life as a Coach

In 2017, St. Louis was offered the head coach position for the Hartford Wolf Pack. This team is the minor league affiliate of the New York Rangers. He said no, wanting to focus on coaching his sons' youth hockey teams.

But professional teams kept showing interest in St. Louis. On January 21, 2019, he became a special teams consultant for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He worked with his former Tampa Bay Lightning head coach, John Tortorella.

Coaching the Montreal Canadiens (2022–present)

On February 9, 2022, St. Louis was named the interim head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. This happened after the previous coach was fired. The Canadiens' new general manager, Kent Hughes, knew St. Louis from his college days. Another team executive had also offered St. Louis a coaching role before. They brought him in to help the team, which was having a very tough season.

Some people wondered about St. Louis' lack of professional coaching experience. He said, "I'm not coming in as a substitute teacher. I'm coming here to show my work." When he arrived, team morale was low. St. Louis was praised for making the team more competitive. He got his first NHL win as a coach on February 17. He finished his first half-season as a coach with a 14–19–4 record. St. Louis was widely credited with helping rookie player Cole Caufield improve a lot. Caufield is often compared to St. Louis because he is also a shorter forward.

St. Louis was then named the permanent head coach of the Canadiens on June 1, 2022. He signed a three-year contract extension. On April 17, 2024, the Canadiens extended his contract for two more years. This means he will be head coach until at least the end of the 2026–27 season.

His Unique Playing Style

St. Louis skates against the Blackhawks in February 2009. He wears number 26 in tribute to his childhood hero, Mats Näslund.

Martin St. Louis was listed at 5 feet 8 inches tall during his playing days. This made him one of the smallest players in the NHL. Hockey Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman said St. Louis' strong desire to succeed was his best quality. Bowman explained, "Small players have to have some special attribute that makes them stand out. He's got great acceleration and hockey sense." St. Louis was also a very tough player. He missed only seven games between 2002 and 2012.

St. Louis was an offensive player throughout his amateur and minor league career. But the Calgary Flames made him play a more defensive role. He said this experience helped him become a more complete player. He learned to be smart without the puck. This helped him develop his defensive game.

Off the Ice

St. Louis met his wife, Heather Anne Caragol, at the University of Vermont. He graduated in 1997 with a degree in small business management. They have three sons. The family has a home in Heather's hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut.

St. Louis runs a summer hockey camp every year. It's for young players in the nearby community of Stamford.

On January 8, 2016, the Vermont Catamounts held "Martin St. Louis Night." During a ceremony before the game, St. Louis' number 8 jersey was retired by the team. This was the first time in the program's history that a player's jersey was retired.

On October 6, 2016, the Lightning announced they would retire St. Louis' number 26. He became the first player in the history of the Lightning team to have his jersey retired. The ceremony happened on January 13, 2017.

On March 17, 2023, St. Louis was inducted into the Tampa Bay Lightning Hall of Fame. He was part of its very first group of inductees.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Bold indicates led league

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004	Canada	WCH			6	2	2	4	0
2006	Canada	OG	7th		6	2	1	3	0
2008	Canada	WC			9	2	8	10	0
2009	Canada	WC			9	4	11	15	0
2014	Canada	OG			5	0	0	0	2
Senior totals					35	10	22	32	2

Head coaching record

Awards and Honours