Few recognize the legacy Martin St. Louis is establishing without looking closely at the Montreal Canadiens’ record books.
The Canadiens hired St. Louis, a Laval, QC native, as head coach, and he has now coached 201 games over two and a half seasons, achieving a record of 75 wins, 100 losses, and 26 overtime losses, including two consecutive seasons with 30 wins each.
While he hasn’t yet led the team to the Stanley Cup playoffs, St. Louis has already climbed to 15th place for most games coached in Canadiens history. After another 82 games in the 2024-25 season, he will enter the top 10.
As he aims to reach 283 games, he will surpass several notable coaches:
– 14th: Newsy Lalonde (207 games, eight seasons)
– 13th: Jacques Demers (220 games, four seasons)
– 12th: Bob Berry (223 games, three seasons)
– 11th: Guy Carbonneau (230 games, three seasons)
– 10th: Jean Perron (240 games, three seasons)
– 9th: Alain Vigneault (266 games, four seasons)
St. Louis is also on track to achieve another significant milestone. With 75 wins to his name, he needs just 25 more to become the 14th head coach in Canadiens history to reach 100 victories.
As he climbs the coaching ranks, he will surpass former coaches such as:
– 16th: Leo Dandurand (78 wins, six seasons)
– 15th: Jacques Martin (96 wins, three seasons)
– 14th: Newsy Lalonde (96 wins, eight seasons)
Given that St. Louis is under contract until the end of the 2026-27 season, there is a possibility he could break into the top 10 in wins, with Carbonneau’s 124 wins being the cutoff.
As one of only 13 Canadiens coaches to complete three seasons, he has taken charge of a rebuilding team that has suffered exactly 100 losses, placing him 9th all-time in that regard.
If the Canadiens lose 26 games this season, St. Louis will move up to fifth place in all-time losses. Ahead of him are notable coaches with legendary tenures:
– 8th: Pat Burns (104 losses, four seasons)
– 7th: Scotty Bowman (110 losses, eight seasons)
– 6th: Alain Vigneault (118 losses, four seasons)
– 5th: Cecil Hart (125 losses, nine seasons)
While the media and fans often focus on player milestones, the achievements of coaches can be overlooked during an 82-game season. Although St. Louis has yet to experience the playoffs as a head coach, he is steadily building a remarkable career with one of hockey’s most storied franchises. With each win or loss, he inches closer to new coaching milestones and the goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Montreal.
