Stu Cowan: Canadiens coach St. Louis motivates through communication

Conveying a belief in concepts over systems and getting players to buy in are big reasons why the Habs appear ahead of schedule in rebuild.

VANCOUVER — I asked Martin St. Louis before Saturday’s game against the Oilers in Edmonton where he ranks communication on the list of important things to be a successful coach in the NHL.

“No. 1,” the Canadiens head coach said without hesitation.

The only coaching experience St. Louis had when the Canadiens hired him last season to replace Dominique Ducharme was with the Mid Fairfield Youth Hockey Association in Connecticut, where he coached his three sons. But St. Louis had instant credibility when he walked into the Canadiens’ locker room because he was a Hall of Fame player and he displayed his communication skills during his first speech to the players.

After the speech, Brendan Gallagher spoke about St. Louis’s confidence level.

“He understood exactly the situation and he has a lot of belief in himself,” Gallagher said at the time. “When you see that as players, you’re going to believe in what he’s saying and everything he’s saying it has a purpose.

“He understands the situation that we’re in and he feels like he can help us,” Gallagher added. “We’re really looking forward to it.”

St. Louis’s communication skills are a big reason why the Canadiens had a 12-11-1 record heading into Monday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena and appear to be ahead of schedule in their rebuilding process. The players are buying what St. Louis is selling and his belief in concepts over systems.

After being named coach, St. Louis said he could relate to every player on the team because he experienced just about all the highs and lows there are to experience as a player. That includes not being drafted, being placed on waivers and getting sent down to the AHL before becoming a Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s most valuable player, a two-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the league’s scoring leader and a Stanley Cup champion.

Rem Pitlick played his first game for the Canadiens in Edmonton since his recall from the AHL’s Laval Rocket last Thursday following injuries to Gallagher and Mike Hoffman. This has been a difficult season for Pitlick, who was placed on waivers before he was sent down to Laval in November. St. Louis called Pitlick after that happened and had a long conversation with him.

“I really appreciated that Marty called me and he said: ‘At the end of the day, you’ve just got to keep going,'” Pitlick said. “It’s one of those moments where it hasn’t been easy. I think it’s one of those things where I’ve got to draw deep on who I think I can be as a player and just stay strong and keep going, like Marty said.

“Everyone has advice but, for me, it hits home a little bit more when it’s someone who went through it and actually went through those mental battles and came out on the other side,” Pitlick added. “I think that holds a little bit more weight with me when it’s coming from an authentic experience.”

Kirby Dach has played a key role in the Canadiens’ surprising start after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade at this year’s NHL draft. The Blackhawks basically gave up on their No. 3 overall pick at the 2019 draft, but St. Louis has given the 21-year-old Dach new life on the Canadiens’ No. 1 line with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki.

When asked recently what he likes most about playing for St. Louis, Dach said: “I think it’s just his philosophy. He’s really good at getting guys motivated and fired up. He’s pretty detail oriented and understands what it takes to win in this league. As a young guy, I grew up watching him play and I feel like the way he played is the way he’s trying to instill it in us. To help our play away from the puck and be confident and just go out there and make plays and understand that the game is about mistakes. You’re going to make mistakes but, at the same time, you can’t keep making the same one over and over. You just have to go out there and keep playing with confidence and that trust.”

Caufield and Suzuki have blossomed since St. Louis took over last season.

When Suzuki was asked recently what impressed him most about that first speech from St. Louis, he said: “Probably just his passion for the game. He didn’t try to be something he’s not. He was like: I was just coaching peewee and now I’m in the NHL, so it’s going to be a learning curve for him and a learning curve for all of us. But he’s been the same guy … with his background in the game everyone had a ton of respect for him and just his presence in the room.

“He’s been an amazing coach and we’re lucky to have him.”

scowan@postmedia.com

twitter.com/StuCowan1

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