CANADIENS HEAD COACH MARTIN ST. LOUIS NAMED FINALIST FOR JACK ADAMS AWARD AFTER BREAKOUT SEASON…. READ MORE…..

CANADIENS HEAD COACH MARTIN ST. LOUIS NAMED FINALIST FOR JACK ADAMS AWARD AFTER BREAKOUT SEASON…. READ MORE…..

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis has been named a finalist for the 2025 Jack Adams Award, capping off a remarkable season that saw the Canadiens return to playoff contention under his leadership. The award, given annually to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success, places St. Louis among the league’s elite bench bosses after a transformative campaign in Montreal.

St. Louis, who took over as interim coach in February 2022 and was officially appointed head coach later that year, has helped reshape the identity of the Canadiens. Known for his dynamic and aggressive coaching style, the former NHL star has fostered a culture of accountability, speed, and development, especially among the team’s young core.

This season, Montreal clinched its first playoff berth in four years and played with a level of competitiveness and confidence not seen since their 2021 Stanley Cup Final run. The Canadiens showed significant improvement in both ends of the ice, finishing the regular season with 93 points, a 17-point increase from the previous year.

St. Louis reached a major milestone in February when he recorded his 100th career coaching victory, a testament to the growth of both the team and the coach. His ability to connect with players and get the best out of young talents like Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and captain Nick Suzuki has been a key component of the team’s resurgence.

“Martin has brought a fresh perspective and a winning mentality to our locker room,” said Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes. “His passion, creativity, and experience as a former player have helped our team evolve tremendously. Being named a finalist for the Jack Adams is well-deserved recognition.”

St. Louis joins Winnipeg Jets interim head coach Scott Arniel and Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet as the three finalists for this year’s award. All three have had notable seasons, but St. Louis’s candidacy is particularly compelling due to the youth of the Canadiens roster and the turnaround he has engineered.

Beyond the on-ice success, St. Louis has been lauded for his leadership off the ice. Earlier this season, he briefly stepped away from the team for personal reasons but returned to a warm welcome and quickly resumed his role with determination. That ability to balance personal adversity with professional leadership has only added to the respect he commands within the organization and across the league.

A former Hart Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion as a player, St. Louis has now translated his individual success into a coaching resume that is quickly gaining recognition. His story, from undrafted NHL forward to Hall of Famer to one of the league’s top coaches, continues to inspire.

The winner of the Jack Adams Award will be announced during the NHL Awards ceremony later this summer. Regardless of the outcome, Martin St. Louis has firmly reestablished the Montreal Canadiens as a team on the rise — and himself as one of hockey’s brightest coaching minds.