Martin St-Louis is slowly getting used to his new role as interim head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, and he doesn’t regret his decision to take the plunge.
After finally taking the time to settle in on Monday during a rare day off from the Canadiens, St-Louis said he has already learned some lessons from his short experience behind the bench of an NHL team.
“The biggest lesson is to be prepared. I didn’t really have time to prepare for my first game (against the Washington Capitals on Feb. 10) — there were so many things to deal with at the same time. I think I learned to prepare for all the scenarios that can happen during a game, including unexpected ones. But I can already tell you that the match is going less quickly for me, behind the bench. Which is very encouraging, and I think it will continue like this, ”he said by videoconference Tuesday morning at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard.
Still, St. Louis, who has only led his second practice since being hired, still needs to make some adjustments between the U13 ranks and the NHL. The 46-year-old Quebecer also wore a stopwatch around his neck while his players performed on the icy surface.
“I time drills, because sometimes time flies and you forget you’ve been on the rink too long. I begin to understand how long I should give to certain exercises, and I take mental notes. The exercises with young people, and those with professionals, are quite different, because it’s faster here and the guys are bigger. I try to gather as much information as possible, in order to be prepared,” he said.
St-Louis also had to get to grips with a few new faces on the rink on Tuesday morning. Joel Edmundson, Ben Chiarot and Christian Dvorak all took part in the Canadiens’ training session. However, it will be necessary to wait a little longer before seeing them return to the game.
Edmundson showed up on the ice about 30 minutes before the start of practice wearing a red jersey, although there is still no date for his return to play. The defender, who is The 28-year-old still hasn’t played a single game this season — just like teammates Shea Weber and Carey Price.
No practice for Price
The Montreal organization has also indicated that Price will not skate this week, but that he will continue his rehabilitation in the gymnasium. The No. 31 said shortly before the All-Star game break that the next few weeks were going to be crucial for his return to the game, if there ever was one.
The Habs also mentioned that Chiarot and Dvorak will skate with their teammates this week, but they still haven’t received the green light from doctors to return to play.
Chiarot was therefore back in training wearing a red jersey, even though the Canadian announced last weekend that he would be sidelined for a week due to injury. at the bottom of the body.
Dvorak also wore a regular jersey, after taking a blow to the head in the game against the Minnesota Wild on January 24, while Mathieu Perreault had a dark blue one, prohibiting contact.
For his part, Jonathan Drouin skated alone before the training session.
A first practice for Hammond
In addition, goaltender Andrew Hammond took part in a first practice with his new teammates, after being acquired from the Wild during the weekend. Samuel Montembeault was also on the ice, as was Michael McNiven.
Hammond seemed to particularly enjoy training with an NHL team, having spent the entire season with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League. And he seems more than excited about the prospect of getting a start on the Bettman circuit soon, something that hasn’t happened since 2018 for him.
“I am still caught in a kind of whirlwind since Saturday. It was my first training session with the team today, I haven’t spoken much with the management so far, but I felt welcomed and enjoyed putting faces to names. I am sure that I will know more about the task that will be entrusted to me in a few days, ”said the “Hamburglar”, who still wore his green equipment from the Wild in training.
Hammond, however, believes he knows the role that will be entrusted to him, especially in the moribund context in which the CH finds itself.
“I’m here to help, no matter how. There are a lot of young players here, young goalkeepers, and I have already experienced a reconstruction like this elsewhere. So I can rely on this experience gained over the years to help the team, and I will do my best,” added Hammond.
The Canadian will only play two games this week. He will face the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Center on Thursday and the Islanders in New York on Sunday.