The NHL’s coaching business is unforgiving, to say the least. Coaches face the firing line from the moment they’re hired, and not even a lengthy and lucrative contract extension prevents them from being pink-slipped if they can’t put their team on the right road.
In the midst of constant turnover, others thrive, driving growth and consistency within their respective teams. Those successful bench bosses are coming to the forefront in TheHockeyNews.com’s NHL coach rankings, and it is specifically the case with this next coach.
We’re nearing the finish of the ranking of all 32 active coaches in the NHL. The criteria include each coach’s expectations, reputation, and short-and-long-term impact. This list is subjective, so debate and discussion are welcome.
Here, we’re spotlighting the coach at No. 7, which is Montreal Canadiens bench boss Martin St-Louis.
7. MARTIN ST-LOUIS, MONTREAL CANADIENS
Like many coaches, St-Louis had a long, prosperous career as an NHL player. In his time with the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers, St-Louis accumulated 1,134 games of regular-season experience and another 107 games of Stanley Cup playoff experience.
Although some star NHLers have huge issues transitioning to the coaching business, St-Louis has emerged as a phenomenal button-pusher and motivator for his Canadiens team, which made it to the Eastern Conference final this past season.
It’s clear St-Louis' players believe and trust him. From the 2023-24 season to the 2025-26 campaign, Montreal has improved from 30 wins to 40 wins in 2024-25 to 48 wins this past year. That’s over a 30-point improvement in the Atlantic Division standings in that stretch, and that’s why St-Louis finished fifth in Jack Adams Award voting as the NHL’s best coach this past season.
St-Louis has an obvious goal for his Canadiens team – and that’s winning more games and playoff series than he won in 2025-26. Montreal GM Kent Hughes hasn’t made any material changes to the Habs’ lineup, but if the Canadiens’ young players develop as anticipated, Montreal isn’t going to need external contributions from a UFA or a player acquired in a trade.
St-Louis is already a Hall of Famer as a player. But if he can deliver a Cup to Montreal, St-Louis is going to have a good shot at eventually getting another induction ceremony for his successes as a builder. With 365 regular-season games behind the bench, there's a long way to go.
But his early success and clear growth with his team can't be ignored.
It’s rare for an individual to be a needle-mover as both a player and a coach, but with how things are going for St-Louis as a coach, he has a terrific opportunity to add to his legacy and become one of the most decorated figures of the NHL.
Canadiens players have massive amounts of pressure on themselves, so you can imagine how much pressure St-Louis places on himself to get this Habs team to the top of the mountain. That’s one of the factors that drives him to accomplish great things. But he’s now got to train his sights on coaching his team to a championship.
If he pushes Montreal to a better result in 2026-27, St-Louis would rank higher on this list. But he’s already one of the game's most highly regarded coaches, and St-Louis has the admiration of Canadiens fans.
The hardest part of his job lies ahead, but St-Louis is doing his part to position his players for success. And it’s now on Montreal’s players to take that next step and reward St-Louis for his belief in them.
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