"A three-year contract like this gives time to build something, and it doesn't happen overnight," St. Louis said. "I think we have a bit of wind in our sails. We are not going to start from scratch. The idea is to keep moving forward."
Montreal went 14-19-4 this season under St. Louis, who replaced Dominique Ducharme as coach on Feb. 9 after the Canadiens won eight of their first 45 games (8-30-7). St. Louis' only previous coaching experience was with his sons' minor hockey teams.
"I don't think I've proved myself to be a good coach," St. Louis said. "I feel like when I came into the League, I knew I had the ability to be a good player in this league, but it took me some time to prove to people that yeah, I cold execute in this league. I think as a coach I feel the same way. I think I have the experience and qualities that I think can make me a good coach, but my actions, the way I succeed, will speak for itself."
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As a player, St. Louis had 1,033 points (391 goals, 642 assists) in 1,134 games with the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers from 1998-2015. He won the Hart Trophy voted as NHL most valuable player in 2003-04, and the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly conduct three times (2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13). He helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2004, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
"During his short stint behind the bench last season, Martin showed he has the required qualities to lead the Canadiens in the right direction," vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton said. "Despite difficult circumstances when he took over, he was able to bring a breath of fresh air to the locker room, and the players benefited from it as much individually as they did collectively. Martin thinks the game at a high level, and we believe that he is the right person for this job."
Cole Caufield had 35 points in 37 games, including 22 of his team-leading 23 goals, after St. Louis was hired. The rookie forward had eight points in 30 games under Ducharme.
"I think once the shift changed to 'Marty,' we just had a lot more fun around the rink, just embracing playing the game, playing with each other," Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki said April 30.