The future of Martin St-Louis could have been called into question in December, according to Alexandre Pratt

Since the winning streak during the holiday season, Martin St-Louis has received positive mentions. However, before this streak, many fans wanted nothing to do with him at the helm of the Canadiens.

In December, the Canadiens suffered a humiliating 9-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was probably the most humiliating match of the season for the Tricolore and a turning point for the team.

Martin St-Louis’s future could have been called into question at that moment. In fact, Alexandre Pratt from La Presse believes there were serious discussions about the coach‘s future with Montreal if the team suffered another crushing defeat in the days that followed.

This was revealed by him during the latest episode of the podcastSortie de zone from 98.5 Sports and La Presse.

Sortie de zone I Écoutez le nouvel épisode de Sortie de zone avec @LouisJeanMedia, Stéphane Waite, @Richardlabbe et @alexandrepratt.https://t.co/KhCQc2Ylgc

— 98,5 Sports (@985Sports) January 8, 2025

Pratt also explained that people were very critical of the Canadiens at that time, including himself. They had every right to be!

After that 9-2 loss, the Canadiens occupied the very last place in the Eastern Conference. It’s crazy to see that the Canadiens are currently fighting for a playoff spot.

However, Kent Hughes never wavered in this situation. He continues to state that he wants to stick to his plan and that St-Louis is part of it. For him, there’s no question of firing his coach while the rebuilding process is still ongoing.

During his mid-season review, Hughes once again reiterated that he trusts St-Louis. He appreciates that his coach is able to face challenges and is always improving.

« Je ne parierais pas contre Martin St-Louis. Il est brillant. Il s’adapte. Il relève les défis. On s’attend à ce qu’il continue de s’améliorer.» https://t.co/GixKXDqfnd

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) January 8, 2025

Returning to Pratt, he seriously believes that the key to success has been tightening the defense, especially with the addition of Alexandre Carrier and the arrival of Jakub Dobes in place of Cayden Primeau.

The Canadiens have allowed less than three goals in six of their last ten games. The issue seems to have been resolved on defense, and Martin St-Louis can receive his due praise after being criticized so much.

Kent Hughes specifically praised him during his mid-season review. He appreciated that St-Louis found a way to communicate with his players so they understood what he expected of them.

Au sujet de l’amélioration du jeu défensif : « Martin a trouvé une manière de communiquer aux joueurs ce qu’il voulait d’eux.» https://t.co/GixKXDqfnd

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) January 8, 2025

In Brief

– Huge trade in the WHL.

Un attaquant prolifique qui n’a pas été retenu par ECJ échangé dans la #WHL https://t.co/z2flnR5rlx

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) January 8, 2025

– Caufield is in seventh place in this ranking.

82-game goal pace leaders this season:

65 — Alex Ovechkin
59 — Leon Draisaitl
58 — Brayden Point
55 — Kirill Kaprizov
48 — Mikko Rantanen
47 — Jake Guentzel
45 — Cole Caufield
45 — Mark Scheifele
45 — William Nylander
45 — Kyle Connor
44 — Sam Reinhart
44 — Dmitri Voronkov
43 —… pic.twitter.com/kY8SVV0Piv

— Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) January 8, 2025

– Interesting!

Is #LAKings forward Trevor Lewis the last of his kind?

Will we ever see another role player execute with precision to last 1,000 #NHL games?

A look back in history and into the future, with help from Darryl Sutter, Mike Richards and Mr. Game 7.

Story: https://t.co/RL4dHawHe0 pic.twitter.com/tJxdNfSyhC

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 8, 2025