Canadiens officially hire St. Louis as head coach

The Montreal Canadiens named Martin St. Louis the 32nd head coach in franchise history on Wednesday, dropping the interim tag he was assigned this past winter.

St. Louis signed a three-year deal through the 2024-25 season.

"Martin is a proven leader, a great communicator with a deep understanding of and passion for the game of hockey. His arrival brought a renewed energy to our group, and we look forward to him returning behind the bench to continue guiding our team for the foreseeable future," general manager Kent Hughes said.

Montreal hired St. Louis for his first NHL coaching gig in February. He guided the Canadiens to a 14-19-4 finish after the club started the season 8-30-7 under Dominique Ducharme.

St. Louis' arrival also sparked a major turnaround for rookie sniper Cole Caufield, who bagged 22 goals in 37 contests after the coaching change.

The Habs finished last in the league standings despite improvement under St. Louis, and will pick first overall at the draft this offseason.