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 in the National Hockey League (NHL). Even though he was never picked in the NHL draft, St. Louis played 1,134 games. He scored 391 goals and earned 1,033 points during his NHL career.

His career 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 championship in 2004. St. Louis also played briefly for HC Lausanne in Switzerland. He was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, the first year he was eligible. Many people consider St. Louis one of the best undrafted players ever. On January 17, 2017, the Lightning retired his number 26 jersey. It was the first jersey retired in the team's history.

St. Louis was an amazing player in college for the Vermont Catamounts. He received honors as an All-American for three years in a row. He was also named the ECAC Player of the Year in 1995. As a professional, St. Louis played in six All-Star Games. He won the Ted Lindsay Award and the Hart Memorial Trophy in the 2003–04 season. These awards are for the NHL's most valuable player. He also won his first Art Ross Trophy that year for leading the league in scoring with 94 points. St. Louis won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times. This award goes to 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 different seasons.

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. He was named an all-star at the 2009 event, leading in scoring with 15 points. St. Louis played in two Olympic Games. He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Early Life and Youth Hockey

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

As a young boy, St. Louis played in the 1988 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He played for a team from Laval. Even though he was a top scorer in his league, he was not chosen for a provincial team when he was a teenager. He played one season of junior ice hockey with the Hawkesbury Hawks. In that season, he scored 37 goals and 87 points in just 31 games.

Playing Career Highlights

College Hockey Success

When St. Louis played in college, he was listed as 5 feet, 9 inches tall. He often found it hard to get noticed for his hockey skills. Many teams did not show much interest in him because of his size. However, several NCAA schools wanted him to play for their programs. The University of Vermont Catamounts convinced St. Louis to join their team.

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

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

St. Louis was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for two years. NHL teams showed interest in him in 1996. They offered him money to leave college and turn professional. But he decided to finish his last year of college. His scoring numbers went down 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 in the NHL: Calgary Flames

The NHL offers St. Louis hoped for did not happen. Teams lost interest in him. Only the Ottawa Senators offered him a tryout before the 1997–98 season. When they let him go, St. Louis signed a contract with the Cleveland Lumberjacks. He scored 50 points in 56 games for Cleveland. This caught the eye of the Calgary Flames. They signed him in February 1998. He was sent to their minor league team, the Saint John Flames. There, he scored 26 points in 25 games.

St. Louis made the Calgary Flames team 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, but soon played less. He only played in 13 games for Calgary that season. He spent most of the time in Saint John, where he led the AHL team with 28 goals. He started the 1999–2000 season in 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 decided to keep him for the next season. However, the team's management changed. The new team was not interested in keeping St. Louis. The Flames let him go, and he became a free agent.

Becoming a Star: Tampa Bay Lightning

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

A few teams wanted to sign St. Louis. He chose the Tampa Bay Lightning because he thought they would give him the most playing time. He played his first game with the Lightning on October 6, 2000. He struggled at first, not scoring a goal for the first six weeks. He sometimes did not play in games. St. Louis realized he needed 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 2001–02 season, St. Louis was leading the team with 16 goals. But he broke his leg on January 23, 2002, after a hit from a Pittsburgh Penguins player. Because of this, he only played in 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 for the team lead with 33 goals and had 37 assists. He also played in his first NHL All-Star Game. St. Louis scored his first career hat-trick on January 30, 2003. In the 2003 playoffs, Tampa Bay won its first playoff series ever. St. Louis scored three game-winning goals. He led the team with 12 points 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. He scored his 100th career goal on February 17, 2004. He led the 2004 playoffs with 15 assists and had 24 points in 23 games. He led the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Finals against his old team, the Calgary Flames. He scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 6 to force a Game 7. The Lightning won Game 7, securing their first Stanley Cup.

St. Louis won many awards after that season. He was named a first team All-Star. He won the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL's most valuable player, chosen by the players. He also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL'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 played in Europe during this time. He played for HC Lausanne in Switzerland. He scored 25 points in 23 games. When the NHL started again in 2005–06, St. Louis signed a new six-year contract with the Lightning. He scored 30 goals that season.

The 2006–07 season was St. Louis' best scoring year. He reached over 100 points for the first time. He had career highs with 43 goals and 102 points. He played in his 500th career game on February 9, 2007. He also became the first Lightning player to score a goal in three All-Star Games. He was named to the second All-Star team. St. Louis became an alternate captain in 2007–08. He played in his fourth All-Star Game and had 83 points. He scored his 500th career point on March 19, 2008. In 2008–09, he led the Lightning with 30 goals, 50 assists, and 80 points. He made 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, which were the longest in team history. He was named to the second All-Star team. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for being the most gentlemanly player.

He won the Lady Byng Trophy again in 2010–11. In that season, St. Louis played in his sixth All-Star Game. He was named to the second All-Star team for the third time. He finished second in league scoring with 99 points. He was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

The 2011–12 season was the first under a new four-year contract. St. Louis was a very tough player. He had played every game since 2005, which was the third longest streak in the NHL. This streak ended in December 2011 when a shot from a teammate hit him in the face during practice. He broke bones in his face and sinuses. But he only missed five games because of the injury. St. Louis finished the season with 74 points in 77 games.

In the 2012–13 season, which was shorter due to a lockout, 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. He also won his third Lady Byng Trophy.

The Lightning named St. Louis the ninth captain in team history before the 2013–14 season. He played his 1,000th NHL game on November 19, 2013. He was the 286th player in NHL history to reach this milestone. He was also only the 16th undrafted player to do so. In his 1,000th game, he got an assist. St. Louis scored four goals in a game on January 18, 2014, which was a career high. His 600th career assist came two weeks later.

Moving to New York: Rangers Career

St. Louis as a member of the Rangers in 2014

In January 2014, the Lightning's general manager, who was also in charge of Canada's Olympic team, did not pick St. Louis for the 2014 Winter Olympics. St. Louis was later added to the team as a replacement for an injured player. Around the same time, St. Louis asked to be traded from Tampa Bay. He wanted to go to the New York Rangers. The Lightning agreed, and St. Louis was traded to New York on March 5, 2014. He later said that not being picked for the Olympic team at first made him feel disrespected, which led to his trade request. He also said he was sorry for how the trade affected his relationship with the fans in Tampa.

St. Louis had a tough start with the Rangers, not scoring a goal in his first 14 games. He scored only one goal in 19 regular season games with New York. He finished the season with 30 goals combined from both teams. The death of his mother on May 8, 2014, was very hard for St. Louis. But he chose to play in the playoff games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers players supported St. Louis, and the team rallied. They came back from being down 3–1 in the series to win in seven games. They reached the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals. St. Louis led the team with 8 goals in the playoffs. But the Rangers lost the final to the Los Angeles Kings.

St. Louis played his last NHL season with the Rangers in 2014–15. He was named an alternate captain. St. Louis returned to Tampa Bay on November 26, 2014. He received a video tribute and a standing ovation from the fans. Two days later, St. Louis reached 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 after that season. Even though he received other offers, St. Louis announced his retirement from professional hockey on July 2, 2015.

International Hockey for Canada

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

After his amazing 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 four points in six games as Canada won the World Cup. St. Louis also played in his first Olympic Games in 2006. The team struggled 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 scored ten points in nine games. Canada reached the final but lost to Russia, winning a silver medal. He returned for the 2009 World Championship in Switzerland. St. Louis led the tournament in scoring with 15 points. Canada again met Russia in the final and won another silver medal. St. Louis was named to the tournament's all-star team. He was also a reserve for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics. On February 6, 2014, he was chosen to replace an injured player for the 2014 Winter Olympics. St. Louis won an Olympic gold medal with Canada in a 3–0 victory over Sweden in the gold medal game.

Coaching Career

In 2017, St. Louis was offered a coaching job with the Hartford Wolf Pack. This team is a minor league affiliate of the New York Rangers. He turned down the offer because he wanted to focus on coaching his sons' youth hockey teams.

However, interest in St. Louis as a professional coach continued. On January 21, 2019, he became a special teams consultant for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He worked with John Tortorella, who used to be his coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Montreal Canadiens Head Coach

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. They brought him in to help the team, which was having a very tough season. St. Louis did not have much professional coaching experience. He said, "I'm not coming in as a substitute teacher. I'm coming here to show my work."

St. Louis was praised for making the team more competitive. He got his first NHL win as a coach on February 17, 2022. He finished his first half-season with a 14–19–4 record. Many people said St. Louis greatly helped Cole Caufield, a young player often compared to St. Louis because of his smaller size. After the season ended, St. Louis was 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 St. Louis' contract through the 2026–27 season. After three years near the bottom of the league, St. Louis and the team aimed to compete for the playoffs in the 2024–25 season. The season started slowly, and St. Louis made changes to the team's defense. The team's performance got better over time. St. Louis earned his 100th career coaching win on February 4, 2025. After a break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, the Canadiens played very well. They made the playoffs for the first time in four years in their final regular season game. St. Louis was seen as a key reason for this success. He was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given to the NHL's best coach.

Playing Style and Skills

St. Louis skates against the Blackhawks in February 2009. He wears number 26 in tribute to his childhood hero, former Montreal Canadiens star 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 main quality. Bowman explained that small players need something special to stand out. He said St. Louis had "great acceleration and hockey sense." St. Louis was also a very tough player. He missed only seven games between 2002 and 2012.

Early in his career, St. Louis was known for his offense. 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.

Personal Life

Martin 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 Greenwich, Connecticut, where Heather is from.

St. Louis runs a summer hockey camp each year in Stamford, Connecticut. This camp is for young players in the area.

On January 8, 2016, the Vermont Catamounts held "Martin St. Louis Night." During this event, his number 8 jersey was retired by the team. This was the first time the program retired a former player's jersey.

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 first group of inductees.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Bold indicates led league

International Play Statistics

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