Update Emerges Regarding Martin St-Louis' Departure From the Canadiens
An update has emerged regarding Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis', who unexpectedly departed from the team on Saturday, March 16th, for family reasons.
Martin St-Louis, who was hired by the Montreal Canadiens during the disastrous 2021-22 season where they finished last, to replace now Vegas Golden Knights assistant coach Dominique Ducharme, has been a breath of fresh air for the Original Six team.
The hall-of-famer player, who went from being an undrafted signee of the Calgary Flames, to having his number raised to the rafters at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, returned to his home province of Quebec for this opportunity to coach his favourite team growing up.
Due to St-Louis' close ties to the Montreal community, as well as his celebrity status as head coach, the hockey world has been set abuzz by his departure.
Montreal Canadiens Head Coach Martin St-Louis Leaves the Team Unexpectedly
As aforementioned, on March 16th, ahead of a game against the Calgary Flames, the Montreal Canadiens organization announced that Martin St-Louis would be taking a personal leave from the team.
Since that announcement, we have learned many things.
Martin St-Louis' Reason for Leaving the Canadiens is His Son, Mason
The night of Martin St-Louis' departure, Montreal Canadiens veteran defenseman David Savard accidentally revealed that the reason for the coach's departure is the health of one of his sons.
Montreal Gazette columnist Jack Todd put out a call for Montreal Canadiens fans to not only lay off of Martin St-Louis, but also not to blame David Savard for slipping up:
David Savard unfortunately let slip that it involves one of St. Louis's three sons. There's no getting that one back and Savard feels bad enough without piling on.
As it happens, I'm also the father of three sons. I once stayed home from a major international event because one of them needed me. Dashing around the world filing stories on the Olympic Games and the World Cup is a dream job but sometimes, life gets in the way.
In the constant tug of war between professional and personal lives in the world of professional sport, it was not always easy to put family first. There was a time not so long ago when it would have been seen as weakness for a coach or a professional athlete to take time to deal with a family issue.»
- Jack Todd, Montreal Gazette
Montreal Canadiens Expert Maxime Truman Provides Update Into the Reason for Martin St-Louis' Departure
Now, through a flurry of conflicting reports and rumours, Montreal Canadiens expert Maxime Truman has shed light on the situation.
In this French interview, translated to English by HabsFanatics, Truman asks Canadiens fans to leave personal space for St-Louis, but equally reveals how many media members are treating the situation:
What we picked up (as information) on Saturday, was nonsense and full of false rumors.
Yesterday, it started to clear up and this morning I had a few people who all had the same information, from credible sources.
It's not... I think it would need the family's OK to release it (publicly), but it should come out (the truth). That's my... That's all I have to say, it's not the f..."
"We're coming back to Martin St-Louis' absence with Maxime Truman.
"We need to silence the rumors."
"As long as there's doubt, people have questions."
- Via CHOI
We wish the best to the family of Martin St-Louis in this tough time. It is always difficult to see such a beloved member of the hockey community have to step away, and we hope that whatever forced him away from the game will be resolved soon.
We love you coach!
| POLL | ||
What's Your Take on the Latest Update Regarding Martin St-Louis' Departure From the Canadiens? | ||
| Shocked by the new details | 60 | 17.2 % |
| It confirms my suspicions | 29 | 8.3 % |
| More information is needed to judge | 185 | 53 % |
| Indifferent to the update | 75 | 21.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
