The National Hockey League (NHL) announced on Friday that Martin St. Louis is one of the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award. Scott Arniel of the Winnipeg Jets and Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals are the two other finalists selected by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.
“I’m nominated for this trophy, but for me, it’s just a team recognition,” St. Louis said. “As a coach, you’re only as good as your staff, your support staff, my assistant coaches, and the buy-in from the players. It’s a team award and we don’t get recognized with this award unless everybody is pulling the same direction.”
Under St.Louis’ leadership, the Canadiens improved by 15 points in the standings compared to last season, and clinched a playoff spot for the first time since the 2020-21 season. The team surpassed the objective they set of being in the mix and a postseason appearance seemed unlikely after beginning the season with 8-12-3 record by the end of November.
The Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes administration hired St. Louis as an interim coach on February 9th, 2022, before the temporary title was removed that summer. The Laval native had no professional coaching experience before joining the organization.
“When you start, you have a lot of ideas, you want to touch everything, and want to solve everything. I learned to delegate a little bit. It’s easier to delegate when your staff really understands what you want,” St. Louis answered when asked about an aspect he’s improved as a coach.
World Championship Invitations
Mike Matheson confirmed his participation in the 2025 IIHF World Championship that runs from May 9 to May 25 that will be co-hosted by Sweden and Denmark.
“My body feels the best it has in my career, and that is why I’m going to the World Championship. I want to keep playing important games,” explained Matheson about representing his country in the tournament for the third time.
Nick Suzuki also received a phone call from Team Canada representatives, but he’s waiting for medical clearance by the Canadiens before accepting the invitation.
The Americans reached out to Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson following the five-game elimination against the Washington Capitals. Both players were undecided when they spoke to the media on Friday.
“There’s things to think about. My younger brother is going, so I’m happy for him. It’s a lot of hockey, and that goes into account. It’s also how many opportunities do you get to represent your country?” spoke about his upcoming decision.
Juraj Slafkovsky and the organization jointly decided that the forward should skip the World Championships. He informed Slovakia general manager Miroslav Satan in a conversation and feels that he’s on good terms with his country’s representatives.
“I got to take care of my body and make sure I’m ready when my new contract starts. I want to be good from October. I had a long season last year and maybe that was a factor that I wasn’t good right away. I’m not trying to find an excuse, I still should have been better. We will try it like this, this year and we will see,” mentioned the 21-year-old about his preparation for next season.
Difficult Decisions Ahead
Reinforcements were sent to the Laval Rocket by the Canadiens as they reassigned Oliver Kapanen and Cayden Primeau to the American Hockey League (AHL). While the additions are welcomed, Pascal Vincent will be forced to make decisions ahead of game 2 of the North Division Semifinals against the Cleveland Monsters on Sunday at Place Bell.
During Primeau’s stint in Montreal, Jacob Fowler backstopped the team to two wins, including a 20-save shutout on Friday. Vincent admitted prior to game 2 that he had discussions with the organization about the goaltending situation, but kept the details confidential.
Primeau was amongst the best statistically in the AHL with 21-2-2 record, 1.96 goals against average, and .927 saves percentage, while Fowler is a key prospect in the organization’s pipeline.
Management sent Kapanen to the Rocket for him to get more ice time before the summer. With the Rocket’s forward group already filled with prospects, and the team coming off two wins, another difficult choice will be made to insert Kapanen into the lineup. Filip Mesar, selected 26th overall by the Canadiens in 2022, did not crack the lineup to begin the postseason due to the depth up front.
by Chris G, Senior Writer, Rocket Sports
