On paper, there are few openings for young players in the Canadiens camp. But you should never tell a coach on the eve of the first practice on the ice that there will be no problems.
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Martin St-Louis, who has a gift for using analogies, drew on a formula that several coaches before him had used when discussing the importance of finding the right chair.
During his visit to Montreal in the late 90s and early 2000s, Alain Vigneault tended to use this part of the furniture often to describe his players.
Colleague Martin McGuire, the voice of CH on radio, asked St-Louis if this year’s camp was more of a battle between NHL players for position or a battle for young guys to get into the lineup.
“That’s a good question. It’s always a fight. Even after camp, it’s still a struggle. You always want to convince managers of your place in the team. Whether in the team or in Laval. As an athlete you have to convince people. »
“You always want to get the best chair possible. But you also have to be realistic and know who the players are in the chairs in front of you. You have to take a chair and play the role of that chair. But I’m still trying to get on the chair. You must understand the role the trainer wants to assign you. Don’t be afraid to steal a chair, even if you’re an American League player. There are always chairs that are stolen. »
Will St-Louis make the concept of the right chair its message to its players?
“My players know that. I don’t have to say it. If you need to encourage a player to steal a chair, you may not be betting on the right player. »
A more mature team
St-Louis was hired to replace Dominique Ducharme on February 9, 2022 and will be in his second camp with the Habs. He will therefore not go home without conceding a goal in terms of training his players.
ARCHIVE PHOTO, AFP
This time last year, St. Louis said it was giving its players more room to slowly introduce defensive and offensive game concepts.
“We’re not starting from scratch,” he replied. When we talk about freedom, it’s a pretty vague word. You have to take responsibility on the ice. I’m careful with a young team, I don’t just want to look at the result, but more at the intentions. We have become better with our intentions. There is always learning. We are always looking for solutions. I say it all the time, the answers are everywhere, but you have to find them. »
“We continue to move forward as a team,” he continued. Last year we stayed like a child or a baby. You don’t ask the same things of a baby as you ask a seven or eight year old boy. You have to take care of the baby. For an older child, you can give them tasks like brushing their teeth and making their bed. We are in a different phase now. »