Since he sat behind the bench, Martin St-Louis has continued to surprise us with his analogies and metaphors. By illustrating his ideas with everyday examples, the Canadian head coach makes his message more understandable and less boring.
In 2023, St. Louis has given us some pearls of wisdom. Enough to make it into the top 10.
10. Like in love (November 21st)
To end the streak of four defeats, Martin St-Louis subjected his players to two days of training specifically focused on work and battles on the ramps. Details are often crucial for victory.
“These are things that aren’t necessarily fun, but you have to do them like you’re in love!”
“Like empty the dishwasher?”
“Yes that's it!”
9. Constant Temperature (November 18)
Emotions may have reached their peak during the Canadian's visit to Boston. evening when the Bruins would honor members of the 1970 and 1972 championship teams. Discipline would be the motto. Especially for Brendan Gallagher, the Dungeon's youngest subscriber.
“It’s a Saturday in Boston. We must be a thermostat, not a thermometer. We have to come to terms.”
8. The Train (January 21)
We knew the expression “building an airplane in mid-flight,” but not the expression “building a train.” The men from St. Louis apparently achieved this feat in an overtime win against the Maple Leafs.
“We’re trying to build a train. There are people entering and leaving the train. The boys on the train have to take care of the train. About how we want to do things, about the culture and everything. We did that tonight.”
7. A Puppy (January 11)
The plan, the process and the progress are principles that St-Louis and the organization hold dear. Since being under the leadership of the former Lightning star, the team has reached various stages of its development. Start with this:
“We look like a puppy. You can train a puppy. He'll behave well for two weeks, but you know he'll end up peeing on the carpet again. This doesn't mean you don't love your puppy. I know that as a team we will escape to the mat again. However, as coaches, we need to help our players stay productive. They need to learn to lie down and paw. We know there will be improvements over time. There will be accidents along the way, but that’s part of being young.”
6. The Older Child (September 20)
Then, at the start of training camp, St-Louis felt his team had reached another stage in its development.
“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. As an older child, you can give him tasks like brushing his teeth and making his bed.”
5. No Picasso (October 23)
The Canadiens head coach likes to use this expression when he feels like those crowds were all crooked on the court. Sometimes that doesn't stop the team from winning. That was the case that evening in Buffalo.
“It wasn't Picasso, it wasn't perfect, but we defended well, but we stayed patient and found a way to win.”
4. Chess player, checkers player (September 25)
At the end of Logan Mailloux's first preseason game, St-Louis used this metaphor to illustrate the difference between the behavior a player must adopt on the NHL ice and what he can afford as he rises in the rankings illustrate.
“In the junior ranks, the boys play checkers. In the National League they have to learn to play chess. They must learn to read the game and analyze what is happening in front of them. It is more difficult. But in the National League, chess is more important than checkers.”
3. Chairs (September 20)
It didn't take long for Martin St-Louis to get back to his good habits. As soon as training camp opened, the Laval resident used this analogy popularized by Alain Vigneault to describe the struggles that would await in the following weeks.
“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 get stolen.”
2. Waze (November 6)
To journalists concerned about Juraj Slafkovsky's progress, Martin St-Louis showed he was not worried by comparing it to Waze, a road guidance application. Meager! He didn't beat around the bush. Are you grabbing it?
“You use Waze as an app when you drive somewhere. […] Sometimes you get stuck in a traffic jam on the way. What happens over time? He is climbing. […] If you miss a trip, are you cursed and return home, or do you wait for her to find a new path for you? […] That's what we do with Slaf. He goes to a beautiful destination. We don't know exactly how long it will take. Sometimes there is traffic, he should not be discouraged or annoyed. There are also times when you miss an exit. But it does not matter. He’ll get back on track.”
1. The game within the game (2022)
“I want them to bring their game to our game. You can't just play your game. You have to play the game. You bring your game to the game.”
This lyrical flight became an instant classic. But since it's from 2022, it normally shouldn't have been considered for this year's rankings. However, since Hydro-Québec had included it in an advertising campaign that has been running non-stop since the fall and features St-Louis itself, we told ourselves we couldn't miss it.