Canadiens extend St. Louis on multiyear deal, September 14
The Montreal Canadiens signed head coach Martin St. Louis to a multiyear contract extension on Monday, September 14, 2026, without disclosing the length. St. Louis has guided the franchise to consecutive playoff berths, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, since taking over during a rebuild in February 2022.
The Montreal Canadiens signed head coach Martin St. Louis to a multiyear contract extension on Monday, September 14, 2026, without revealing the length of the new deal. The announcement marks a vote of confidence in St. Louis' leadership after five seasons rebuilding a franchise that ranked among the league's youngest.
St. Louis, 51, has guided Montreal to consecutive playoff berths, including a 2024-25 trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, since Montreal hired him on an interim basis in February 2022 following Dominique Ducharme's dismissal. The interim tag was removed at the end of that season. Entering his sixth season, St. Louis holds a record of 163 wins, 155 losses, and 47 overtime losses, per Yahoo Sports / AP reporting.
In 2025, St. Louis was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year. The Canadiens made the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season in 2024-25 but were eliminated in the first round by the Washington Capitals. The team was the youngest in the league at the time.
St. Louis took on his first-ever role behind an NHL bench after previously coaching at the youth hockey level. His playing career spanned 20 seasons: he totaled 1,033 points before retiring in 2015, was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, and won the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy in 2003-04 while helping the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup.
General manager Kent Hughes issued a statement expressing confidence in the coach's direction. "Marty has done a terrific job leading our young team," Hughes said. "He is a great communicator and teacher. We look forward to his continued efforts to mold this group into a championship-caliber team."
The Canadiens have not disclosed the financial terms or the exact length of the extension.
Martin St. Louis, 51, has compiled a 163-155-47 record as Canadiens coach and was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award in 2025 after leading Montreal to the playoffs for the first time since 2020-21.
Montreal's decision to extend St. Louis on a multiyear deal without delay signals the organization's conviction in his rebuild. The next measure will be whether that young core, still absent a first-round playoff victory under his watch, can sustain playoffs and deepen a run this season.
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Single-source report. As published, only Yahoo Sports had reported this development. No independent outlet had corroborated it.
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