Martin St. Louis
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox ice hockey player Martin St. Louis (French spelling Martin St-Louis, Template:IPA; born June 18, 1975) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). An undrafted player, St. Louis played a total of 1,134 games, scoring 391 goals and 1,033 points in an NHL career that began with the Calgary Flames in 1998 and ended with the New York Rangers in 2015. He is best remembered for having played with the Tampa Bay Lightning and was a member of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup championship team. St. Louis also briefly played with HC Lausanne of the Swiss National League A. He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> his first year of eligibility. St. Louis is widely considered one of the best undrafted players of all time. On January 17, 2017, St. Louis' number 26 jersey became the first to be retired in Lightning history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A standout player in college for the Vermont Catamounts, St. Louis earned East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) all-American honors for three consecutive seasons between 1995 and 1997 and was named the ECAC Player of the Year in 1995. As a professional, St. Louis played in six All-Star Games. He was voted the recipient of the Lester B. Pearson Award and Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player as chosen by the players and league respectively in 2003–04, also winning his first Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer with 94 points. St. Louis has on three occasions won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player. In 2013, at age 37, he won his second Art Ross Trophy, becoming the oldest player to ever lead the NHL in scoring. He has also led the NHL in assists in two different seasons (2003–04 and 2012–13).
Internationally, St. Louis has played for Canada on several occasions. He was a member of the team that won the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and is a two-time silver medalist at the World Championships; he was named a tournament all-star after leading the 2009 event in scoring with 15 points. A two-time Olympian, St. Louis was a member of Canada's gold medal-winning team at the 2014 Winter Games.
Early life
St. Louis was born in Laval, Quebec, to Normand and France St. Louis. He has a sister, Isabelle.<ref name="HCProfile">Template:Cite web</ref>
As a youth, St. Louis played in the 1988 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Laval, Quebec.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was passed over for a provincial team at a midget age tournament despite leading his league in scoring. He played one season of junior ice hockey with the Hawkesbury Hawks of the Central Junior Hockey League (CJHL) in 1992–93 where he scored 37 goals and 87 points in just 31 games.<ref name="LOH" />
Playing career
College
St. Louis was listed at Template:Convert tall in college.<ref name="BGVermontProfile" /> He often struggled to gain recognition for his ability, while teams showed little interest in him. He was heavily recruited by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools to play for their programs, however.<ref name="MyFirstGoal">Template:Cite book</ref> The University of Vermont Catamounts convinced St. Louis to join their hockey program.<ref name="BGVermontProfile">Template:Cite news</ref> He had 51 points in 33 games in his freshman season of 1993–94 and was named to the East Coast Athletic Conference's All-Rookie Team.<ref name="LOH" />
In his sophomore season (1994–95), St. Louis was among the top scorers in the NCAA.<ref name="BGVermontProfile" /> He had 71 points in 35 games and was named both an ECAC First Team All-Star and NCAA All-American for the first of three consecutive seasons. Additionally, he was named the ECAC Player of the Year.<ref name="CatamountsRB">Template:Cite news</ref> Named team captain for his junior season,<ref name="CatamountsRB" /> St. Louis scored 85 points in 35 games.<ref name="LOH" /> He tied friend and teammate Éric Perrin for the NCAA scoring lead and the pair, along with goaltender Tim Thomas, led the Catamounts to the first ECAC hockey championship in school history.<ref name="BGVermontProfile" /> Named an all-star at the 1996 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament,<ref name="LOH" /> St. Louis scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Lake Superior State to reach the Frozen Four.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Catamounts lost the national semi-final to Colorado College, 4–3, in double overtime.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for the first of two consecutive seasons,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> St. Louis earned interest from National Hockey League (NHL) teams in the summer of 1996. Teams offered signing bonuses of up to $150,000 hoping to convince him to leave Vermont and turn professional. Believing he could attract similar offers the following year, he chose to complete his final year of college eligibility.<ref name="MyFirstGoal" /> His offensive numbers slipped in 1996–97 as he scored 59 points in 36 games.<ref name="LOH" /> St. Louis finished as Vermont's all-time leading scorer with 267 points, a record he continues to hold as of 2023, as well as his school mark of 176 assists.<ref name="CatamountsRB" /> He won the J. Edward Donnelly Award as the top male senior athlete at the University of Vermont in 1997 and was named to the ECAC's all-decade team of the 1990s.<ref name="UVMAlumniAward">Template:Cite web</ref> The University of Vermont inducted him into its athletics Hall of Fame in 2007,<ref name="CatamountsRB" /> and in 2012 he was presented with the school's Alumni Achievement Award.<ref name="UVMAlumniAward" /> On January 8, 2016, the University of Vermont retired his jersey number 8 at Gutterson Fieldhouse in front of a sold-out crowd.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Calgary Flames (1998–2000)
The NHL offers St. Louis anticipated never materialized as teams lost interest in him. Only the Ottawa Senators offered him a tryout prior to the 1997–98 NHL season. When they released him, St. Louis signed a two-year contract with the Cleveland Lumberjacks that included a clause allowing him to leave the team if offered an NHL contract.<ref name="MyFirstGoal" /> He had 50 points in 56 games for Cleveland, catching the attention of the Calgary Flames, who signed him to a contract on February 18, 1998. He was assigned to their then-American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Saint John Flames, where he scored 26 points in 25 regular season games.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He then added 20 points in 20 playoff games as Saint John reached the Calder Cup finals, losing in six games to the Philadelphia Phantoms.<ref name="MyFirstGoal" />
St. Louis earned a spot on the Calgary roster to begin the 1998–99 season and made his NHL debut on October 9, 1998, against the San Jose Sharks. He scored his first goal on October 20 against Dallas Stars' goaltender Roman Turek.<ref name="9900FlamesMG">Template:Cite book</ref> He began the season playing with Calgary's top forward, Theoren Fleury, but was quickly demoted to the fourth line, and often sat out of the lineup.<ref name="MyFirstGoal" /> He appeared in only 13 games in Calgary, spending the majority of the season in Saint John where he led the AHL squad with 28 goals and 62 points.<ref name="9900FlamesMG" /> He began the 1999–2000 season with Saint John, but earned a recall to Calgary after scoring 26 points in 17 games.<ref name="MyFirstGoal" /> St. Louis completed his first full NHL season with 3 goals and 18 points in 56 games.<ref name="LOH" /> Pleased with his progress, general manager Al Coates picked up St. Louis' contract option for the 2000–01 season. However, the organization fired Coates and his staff that summer and the new management team was not interested in retaining St. Louis. The Flames exposed him in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft, but after he went unselected, the team bought out his contract and made him an unrestricted free agent.<ref name="MyFirstGoal" />
Tampa Bay Lightning (2000–2014)
A few teams expressed interest in St. Louis. He chose to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning as he believed they were the most likely to give him playing time in the NHL.<ref name="MyFirstGoal" /> He made his debut with the team on October 6, 2000.<ref name="1112TBMG">Template:Cite book</ref> He struggled at first, failing to score a goal in the first six weeks of the season and again found himself out of the lineup at times. Realizing that he was at a career crossroads, St. Louis abandoned the changes to his game that his NHL coaches had impressed on him, trusting his own instincts.<ref name="MyFirstGoal" /> He scored his first goal of the season in on November 22, 2000, and finished the season playing in 78 games with 18 goals, 22 assists and 40 points – 34 of which came after December 1.<ref name="1112TBMG" />
While leading the team with 16 goals midway through the 2001–02 season, St. Louis suffered a broken leg following an awkward check by Josef Melichar of the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 23, 2002.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Consequently, he appeared in only 53 of Tampa Bay's 82 games, finishing with 35 points.<ref name="HRStats">Template:Cite web</ref>
He had a breakout season in 2002–03, finishing fourth in team scoring with 70 points and tying Vincent Lecavalier for the team lead with 33 goals along with 37 assists. He led the team in plus-minus at +10 and appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> St. Louis won the puck control relay event and finished second in the fastest skater events of the 2003 All-Star Game's skills competition.<ref name="1112TBMG" /> He scored his first career hat-trick on January 30, 2003, in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 2003 playoffs, Tampa Bay won its first playoff series in franchise history when they eliminated the Washington Capitals. Three of St. Louis' seven goals were game-winners, including the overtime goal in the sixth game that won the series against the sixth-seeded Capitals before falling in five games in the second round to the second-seeded New Jersey Devils. He led the team with 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in all 11 playoff games.<ref name="1112TBMG" />
St. Louis exceeded his previous season in 2003–04, capturing the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer with 94 points (38 goals, 56 assists).<ref name="LOH" /> His plus-minus of +38 led the league.<ref name="HRStats" /> He scored his 100th career goal on February 17, 2004, against the Philadelphia Flyers.<ref name="1112TBMG" /> He led the 2004 playoffs with 15 assists and finished with 24 playoff points in 23 games.<ref name="HRStats" /> He led the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Finals against St. Louis' former team, the Calgary Flames, against whom he scored the overtime winning goal on Miikka Kiprusoff in game six to force a deciding seventh game of the series.<ref name="1112TBMG" /> The Lightning won the game 2–1 to secure the franchise's first Stanley Cup.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> St. Louis won several postseason awards: He was named a first team All-Star and voted recipient of the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL's most valuable player as selected by the players.<ref name="LOH" /> He also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. St. Louis was only the eighth player in NHL history to win the Art Ross and Hart Trophies and the Stanley Cup in the same season, and the first to do so since Wayne Gretzky in 1986–87.<ref name="HartTrophy">Template:Cite news</ref>
While the 2004–05 NHL season was ultimately cancelled by a labour dispute, St. Louis spent it playing in Europe. He signed a contract with HC Lausanne of Switzerland's National League A.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He scored 25 points in 23 games.<ref name="HRStats" /> When the NHL resumed in 2005–06, St. Louis signed a six-year contract extension with the Lightning worth US$31.5 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He finished with his third 30-goal season, but scored only 61 points on the campaign.<ref name="LOH" />
The 2006–07 season was St. Louis' greatest offensive year as he topped the 100-point plateau for the first time. He finished with career highs in goals, (43), and points, (102).<ref name="HRStats" /> He played in his 500th career game on February 9, 2007, against the New York Rangers and after becoming the first Lightning player to appear in three All-Star Games, became the first to score a goal in the mid-season event. He was named to the second All-Star team following the season.<ref name="1112TBMG" /> An injury to Tim Taylor resulted in St. Louis being named an alternate captain in 2007–08.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> St. Louis made his fourth All-Star Game appearance in 2007–08 amidst an 83-point campaign.<ref name="LOH" /> He scored his 500th career point with a goal against the Buffalo Sabres on March 19, 2008.<ref name="1112TBMG" /> Leading the Lightning with 30 goals, 50 assists and 80 points in 2008–09, St. Louis earned his fifth All-Star appearance.<ref name="1112TBMG" />
St. Louis finished fifth in the league with 94 points in 2009–10. He had two 11-game point streaks during the season, the longest in franchise history, and was named to the second All-Star team.<ref name="1112TBMG" /> Finishing with only 12 penalty minutes on the season, he was voted the recipient of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player. It was the fifth time he had been named a finalist for the award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He won the Lady Byng Trophy for a second time in 2010–11,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the culmination of a season in which St. Louis made his sixth All-Star Game appearance, was named to the second All-Star team for the third time and finished second in league scoring with 99 points (31 goals, 68 assists) only behind Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks, who finished with 104 points.<ref name="LOH" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy for the second time, losing out to Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The 2011–12 season was the first under a four-year contract extension signed during the previous campaign. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman praised St. Louis' importance to the organization when announcing the signing: "Marty means so much to this franchise, both on and off the ice. His hard work and dedication are unsurpassed and we are thrilled that he will finish his career here in Tampa Bay."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A durable player, St. Louis held the NHL's third longest "ironman" streak among active players, having played every game since 2005. The streak came to an end at 499 consecutive games played in early December 2011 when he was struck in the face by a shot from teammate Dominic Moore during practice.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite suffering facial and sinus fractures,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> he missed only five games due to the injury.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 36-year-old St. Louis finished the season with 74 points (25 goals, 49 assists) in 77 games.<ref name="HRStats" />
In the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, St. Louis led the NHL with 43 assists, and his 60 points were enough to capture his second Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer. After the season, he was named a second team All-Star. With only 14 penalty minutes on the season, St. Louis also won his third Lady Byng Trophy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Lightning named St. Louis the ninth captain in franchise history prior to the 2013–14 season. He replaced Vincent Lecavalier, who departed Tampa in the off-season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> St. Louis played his 1,000th NHL game on November 19, 2013, against the Los Angeles Kings. He is the 286th player in NHL history to reach the milestone, but only the 16th undrafted player to do so since the creation of the universal NHL Entry Draft in 1969.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In his 1,000th game, he recorded an assist on a goal scored by Valtteri Filppula. St. Louis set a career high and tied a Lightning franchise record by scoring four goals in a January 18, 2014, game against the San Jose Sharks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His 600th career assist came two weeks later on a goal scored by Victor Hedman in a 5–3 loss to the Ottawa Senators on January 30.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
New York Rangers (2014–2015)
In January 2014, then-Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, who also served as the general manager for Canada's team at the 2014 Winter Olympics, elected not to include St. Louis on Canada's roster. St. Louis was ultimately named to the team as an injury replacement after Steven Stamkos was not medically cleared to play.<ref name="Loyal">Template:Cite news</ref> At the same time, St. Louis requested a trade from Tampa Bay.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The no movement clause in his contract gave St. Louis control over where he could be moved and he reportedly consented to only being traded to the New York Rangers, a request he first made in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Lightning honoured his request, and St. Louis was sent to New York along with a conditional 2015 second-round pick on March 5, 2014, in exchange for Ryan Callahan, a 2015 first-round draft pick, a conditional 2014 second-round pick (which became a first-round pick) and a conditional 2015 seventh-round pick.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both of the first-round draft picks acquired by the Lightning in this trade were eventually traded to the New York Islanders. Though reluctant to speak of his reasons for requesting the trade, he eventually admitted the initial Olympic snub was the primary cause. He felt a lack of respect when Yzerman initially left him off the Canadian team. St. Louis also expressed his regret over the damage the events caused to his relationship with the fans in Tampa.<ref name="Loyal" />
St. Louis struggled offensively in his first games with the Rangers as he went 14 games without scoring a goal.<ref name="Loyal" /> He scored only one in 19 regular season games – finishing the season with 30 combined between Tampa Bay and New York – and added seven assists to finish with 69 points on the season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The death of his mother, France, of a heart attack on May 8 left St. Louis' participation in Games 5 and 6 of New York's second-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in doubt. He chose to play after speaking with his father.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Rangers players rallied around St. Louis as he became the team's focus. He led the Rangers as they overcame a 3–1 series deficit against Pittsburgh to win the series in seven games en route to reaching the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals.<ref name="Loyal" /> St. Louis led the team with 8 goals in the playoffs and finished second with 15 points,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but the Rangers lost the final to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
St. Louis returned to the Rangers for what would be his last NHL season in 2014–15, and was named an alternate captain underneath newly appointed captain Ryan McDonagh.
St. Louis made his first return to Tampa Bay on November 26, and was welcomed with a video tribute and standing ovation from the fans prior to the start of the game, which Tampa won 5–4.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two days later, St. Louis recorded a goal and an assist against the Philadelphia Flyers to reach 1,000 points in his career, becoming the sixth undrafted player in NHL history to do so.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> St. Louis would face the Lightning again in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final, in a series Tampa Bay won in seven games. St. Louis finished the 2015 playoff campaign with 1 goal and 6 assists in 19 playoff games.
The Rangers did not offer St. Louis a new contract during the off-season, despite his desire to return to the team. Despite receiving other offers in free agency,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> St. Louis formally announced his retirement from professional hockey on July 2, 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
International play
Template:MedalTableTop Template:Medal Template:Medal Template:Medal Template:Medal Template:Medal Template:Medal Template:Medal Template:MedalBottom Following his MVP season in the NHL, St. Louis joined Team Canada for the first time, appearing at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.<ref name="IIHF">Template:Cite book</ref> With a goal and an assist, he led Canada to an opening game, 2–1 victory over the United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Overall, he scored four points in six games as Canada won the World Cup.<ref name="IIHF" /> The majority of that team returned for the 2006 Winter Olympic tournament, and St. Louis played in his first Olympic Games.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The team struggled offensively throughout the tournament, finishing in seventh place.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> St. Louis scored two goals and added an assist in six games.<ref name="IIHF" />
St. Louis has twice played in the World Championships. He first played in the 2008 tournament, held in Canada.<ref name="LOH" /> He appeared in all nine games for Team Canada, scoring ten points.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Canada reached the final, but were forced to settle for the silver medal after a 5–4 overtime loss to Russia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Returning for the 2009 World Championship in Switzerland, St. Louis led the tournament in scoring with 15 points.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Canada met Russia in a rematch of the 2008 final, however St. Louis and his teammates were again relegated to the silver medal, dropping a 2–1 decision.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> St. Louis was named to the tournament's all-star team at forward.<ref name="IIHF" /> He was selected as a reserve by Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 6, 2014, he was selected to replace injured former Lightning teammate Steven Stamkos for representation at the 2014 Winter Olympics<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and played in five of Canada's six games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> St. Louis won an Olympic gold medal with Canada in a 3–0 victory over Sweden in the gold medal game.<ref name="Associated">Template:Cite web</ref>
Coaching career
In 2017, St. Louis was offered the position of head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, by Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton. He declined, citing a desire to focus on his sons' youth hockey teams.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Interest in St. Louis' services on a professional level persisted. On January 21, 2019, he became the special teams consultant for the Columbus Blue Jackets, working alongside John Tortorella, his former Tampa Bay Lightning head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Montreal Canadiens (2022–present)
On February 9, 2022, St. Louis was named as interim head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, following the firing of Dominique Ducharme.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Canadiens' new general manager, Kent Hughes, had first become acquainted with St. Louis while the latter was playing for the University of Vermont, while Gorton, who had previously offered St. Louis a coaching role in the AHL, was now the Canadiens' executive vice president. They recruited him to assist the team in the midst of a historically poor 8–30–7 start to the 2021–22 season. St. Louis' lack of professional coaching experience attracted media comment, to which he said, "I'm not coming in as a substitute teacher. I'm coming here to show my work and we'll see what happens this summer, but my intention is to stay here for a long time. But I'll need to show and prove it."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Arriving when team morale was low, St. Louis was credited with boosting competitiveness through narrow losses in his first three games before recording his first NHL win as a coach on February 17 in a 3–2 victory over the St. Louis Blues.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In his first visit to Tampa Bay as a coach, the Canadiens won their first game at Amalie Arena since 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He finished his first half-season as a coach with a 14–19–4 record. St. Louis was widely credited with huge improvement in the performance of Cole Caufield, a rookie often compared to St. Louis himself as a shorter than average forward.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the end of the season, St. Louis was named permanent head coach of the Canadiens on June 1, 2022, signing a three-year extension with the team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On April 17, 2024, the Canadiens exercised a two-year option on St. Louis' contract, extending it through the conclusion of the 2026–27 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After three years at or near the bottom of the league standings, St. Louis and Canadiens management approached the 2024–25 season with the goal of being "in the mix" for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs until late March or April.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The season began poorly, with St. Louis taking criticism in some quarters for the perceived difficulty of the team's defensive scheme, which prompted him to make alterations. The team's performance gradually improved thereafter.<ref name=Athletic250420>Template:Cite web</ref> St. Louis registered his 100th career coaching win on February 4, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the league's midseason hiatus for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Canadiens went on 15–5–6 run through the end of the season, clinching the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference in their final regular season game. St. Louis was widely credited as a key figure in the team reaching the playoffs for the first time in four years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Athletic250420/> In recognition of his work, he was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL's best coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Playing style
Listed at five-foot-eight inches tall during his playing days,<ref name="1112TBMG" /> St. Louis found himself to be one of the smallest players in the NHL.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Hockey Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman credited St. Louis' desire to succeed as being his primary attribute: "His long suit is his passion. Small players have to have some special attribute that makes them stand out. He's got great acceleration and hockey sense."<ref name="SI2004Profile">Template:Cite magazine</ref> St. Louis was also a durable player throughout his career, missing only seven games between 2002 and 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
An offensive minded player throughout his amateur and minor professional career, St. Louis was forced into a checking-line role by the Calgary Flames. He credits the experience for rounding out his game:<ref name="SI2004Profile" /> "I played a true third-line role, killing penalties and playing against the other team's top lines. For me, it was like a five-month crash course on developing my defensive game. My whole life, I had been an offensive player, and suddenly I was in the role of trying to be smart without the puck. I think those fifty-six games helped me develop into a complete player."<ref name="MyFirstGoal" />
Personal life
St. Louis met his wife Heather Anne Caragol at the University of Vermont,<ref name="SI2004Profile"/> where he graduated in 1997 with a degree in small business management.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They have three sons.<ref name="HCProfile"/> The family maintains an off-season home in Heather's native Greenwich, Connecticut.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
St. Louis runs an annual summer hockey camp in the nearby community of Stamford for young players in the region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On January 8, 2016, the Vermont Catamounts held Martin St. Louis Night, which resulted in a 1–0 victory over visiting Dartmouth. During the night, St. Louis' number 8 was retired by the program during a pre-game ceremony. This was the first time in program history that the team retired the jersey of a former player. Additionally, senior Jonathan Turk handed St. Louis his number 8 jersey prior to the game. Turk wore the number 88 for the rest of the season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On October 6, 2016, the Lightning announced that they would retire St. Louis' number 26.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> St. Louis became the first player in the history of the Lightning organization to have his jersey retired. The ceremony occurred on January 13, 2017, when the Lightning hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets at Amalie Arena.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On March 17, 2023, St. Louis was inducted into the Tampa Bay Lightning Hall of Fame, as a member of its inaugural class.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Bold indicates led league
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1992–93 | Hawkesbury Hawks | CJHL | 31 | 37 | 50 | 87 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Vermont Catamounts | ECAC | 33 | 15 | 36 | 51 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Vermont Catamounts | ECAC | 35 | 23 | 48 | 71 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Vermont Catamounts | ECAC | 35 | 29 | 56 | 85 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Vermont Catamounts | ECAC | 36 | 24 | 36 | 60 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 56 | 16 | 34 | 50 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Saint John Flames | AHL | 25 | 15 | 11 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 16 | ||
| 1998–99 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Saint John Flames | AHL | 53 | 28 | 34 | 62 | 30 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 1999–00 | Saint John Flames | AHL | 17 | 15 | 11 | 26 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 56 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 78 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 53 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 33 | 37 | 70 | 32 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 38 | 56 | 94 | 24 | 23 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 14 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Lausanne | NLA | 23 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 80 | 31 | 30 | 61 | 38 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 43 | 59 | 102 | 28 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 2007–08 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 25 | 58 | 83 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 30 | 50 | 80 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 29 | 65 | 94 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 82 | 31 | 68 | 99 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 77 | 25 | 49 | 74 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 48 | 17 | 43 | 60 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 62 | 29 | 32 | 61 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | New York Rangers | NHL | 19 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 25 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | New York Rangers | NHL | 74 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 1,134 | 391 | 642 | 1,033 | 310 | 107 | 42 | 48 | 90 | 34 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Canada | WCH | Template:Gold1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Canada | OG | 7th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2008 | Canada | WC | Template:Silver2 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2009 | Canada | WC | Template:Silver2 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Canada | OG | Template:Gold1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Senior totals | 35 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 2 | ||||
Head coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win % | Result | |||
| MTL | 2021–22 | 37 | 14 | 19 | 4 | (32) | 8th in Atlantic | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
| MTL | 2022–23 | 82 | 31 | 45 | 6 | 68 | 8th in Atlantic | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
| MTL | 2023–24 | 82 | 30 | 36 | 16 | 76 | 8th in Atlantic | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
| MTL | 2024–25 | 82 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 91 | 5th in Atlantic | 1 | 4 | Template:Winpct | Lost in first round (WSH) | |
| Total | 283 | 115 | 131 | 37 | 1 | 4 | Template:Winpct | 1 playoff appearance | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team | 1994 | <ref name="CatamountsRB" /> |
| All-ECAC Hockey First Team | 1995, 1996, 1997 | <ref name="LOH">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| AHCA East First-Team All-American | 1995, 1996, 1997 | <ref name="LOH" /> |
| ECAC Player of the Year | 1995 | <ref name="LOH" /> |
| ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team | 1996 | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| All-NCAA All-Tournament Team | 1996 | <ref name="LOH" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| NHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 | <ref name="LOH" /> |
| Plus-Minus Award (shared with Marek Malík) | 2004 | <ref name="LOH" /> |
| NHL first All-Star team | 2004 | <ref name="LOH" /> |
| Art Ross Trophy | 2004, 2013 | <ref name="HartTrophy" /> |
| Lester B. Pearson Award | 2004 | <ref name="HartTrophy" /> |
| Hart Memorial Trophy | 2004 | <ref name="HartTrophy" /> |
| Stanley Cup champion | 2004 | <ref name="LOH" /> |
| NHL 2K cover athlete | 2005 | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| NHL second All-Star team | 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013 | <ref name="LOH" /> |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy | 2010, 2011, 2013 | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Hockey Hall of Fame | 2018 | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| International | ||
| World Cup of Hockey champion | 2004 | <ref name="IIHF" /> |
| World Championship All-Star forward | 2009 | <ref name="IIHF" /> |
References
- Career statistics Template:Cite web
External links
Template:S-start Template:S-ach Template:Succession box Template:Succession box Template:Succession box Template:Succession box Template:Succession box Template:Succession box Template:Succession box Template:S-sports Template:Succession box Template:S-bef Template:S-ttl Template:S-inc Template:S-end
Template:NHL head coaches Template:Montreal Canadiens Template:Good article
- 1975 births
- Living people
- Art Ross Trophy winners
- Calgary Flames players
- Canadian ice hockey right wingers
- Canadian people of French descent
- Cleveland Lumberjacks players
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Hart Memorial Trophy winners
- Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics
- Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winners
- Lausanne HC players
- Lester B. Pearson Award winners
- Medalists at the 2014 Winter Olympics
- National Hockey League All-Stars
- National Hockey League players with retired numbers
- New York Rangers players
- Montreal Canadiens coaches
- Olympic gold medalists for Canada
- Olympic ice hockey players for Canada
- Olympic medalists in ice hockey
- Saint John Flames players
- Ice hockey people from Laval, Quebec
- Stanley Cup champions
- Tampa Bay Lightning players
- Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
- Undrafted National Hockey League players
- University of Vermont alumni
- Vermont Catamounts men's ice hockey players
- AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
- Hockey Hall of Fame inductees