Canadiens React to NHL's Announcement on Coach Martin St. Louis
This season, the Montreal Canadiens surprised the league by earning a playoff berth for the first time since 2021, finishing with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points.
The team clinched the final wild-card spot in the East on the last day of the regular season.
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From December 3 onward, they posted a 32–18-8 record, climbing up the conference standings and with a .621 points percentage.
Montreal, the youngest team in the playoffs, also went 26-14-8 after Christmas.
All of that earned head coach Martin St. Louis a nomination for the Jack Adams Award on Friday, something the Habs reacted to with a message on X.
'Head coach Martin St-Louis has been named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award! 🏆' along with a photo of the coach next to the trophy.
St. Louis is just the sixth Canadiens coach to be nominated for the award since its inception in 1973–74, and the first since Guy Carbonneau in 2008.
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Only Scotty Bowman and Pat Burns have won it while with Montreal. St. Louis also becomes the first former Hart Trophy winner to receive a Jack Adams nomination.
Hired initially with no prior coaching experience, St. Louis took over from Dominique Ducharme midway through the 2021-22 season and officially became head coach that summer.
St. Louis reached his 100th career win on Feb. 4 in a game against the San Jose Sharks.
Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis (rear) reacts on the bench at PPG Paints Arena.Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The other two Jack Adams finalists are Scott Arniel of the Winnipeg Jets and Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals.
Arniel guided Winnipeg to its first Presidents' Trophy with a 56–22–4 record, the league's best.
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Carbery led Washington (51-22-9) to second overall in the standings and ultimately eliminated Montreal from the playoffs, beating the Canadiens 4-1 in their first-round matchup.
Related: Sidney Crosby, Connor Bedard Not on Canada's Initial Roster for IIHF World Championship
Related: NHL Delivers First Official Update on Maple Leafs-Panthers Series
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