Montreal CanadienHEAD COACH MARTIN ST. LOUIS SHOCKS HOCKEY WORLD, WINS NHL COACH OF THE YEAR 2025 DESPITE CANADIENS’ MEDIOCRE SEASON

Montreal CanadienHEAD COACH MARTIN ST. LOUIS SHOCKS HOCKEY WORLD, WINS NHL COACH OF THE YEAR 2025 DESPITE CANADIENS’ MEDIOCRE SEASON…

Montreal CanadienHEAD COACH MARTIN ST. LOUIS SHOCKS HOCKEY WORLD, WINS NHL COACH OF THE YEAR 2025 DESPITE CANADIENS’ MEDIOCRE SEASON….SEE MORE…..

HEAD COACH MARTIN ST. LOUIS SHOCKS HOCKEY WORLD, WINS NHL COACH OF THE YEAR 2025 DESPITE CANADIENS’ MEDIOCRE SEASON….SEE MORE…..

Montreal, QC — In a move that has left analysts dumbfounded, rival fanbases furious, and Canadiens fans somewhere between proud and confused, Martin St. Louis has been awarded the 2025 Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year — despite guiding the Montreal Canadiens to a thoroughly average 39-38-5 record and missing the playoffs by six points.

The announcement, made during a live broadcast of the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, was met with gasps across the league, especially from cities with coaches who actually made the postseason. St. Louis, clad in a sleek navy suit and his trademark calm grin, took the stage with the humility of a man who knew this wasn’t going to go over quietly.

“I want to thank my players, my staff, and the fans of Montreal,” he said, pausing as boos filtered in from a small contingent of disgruntled fans wearing Maple Leafs jerseys. “Some people call our season ‘mediocre.’ I call it ‘miraculous under the circumstances.’”

The “circumstances,” as St. Louis referenced, included an injury-plagued roster, a rebuilding defense, and an AHL-goalie-turned-folk-hero who backstopped the Canadiens through a bizarre 8-game win streak in February that many now call “The February Fever.”

Still, the award’s announcement triggered a storm of controversy.

“What are we doing here?” asked one anonymous Eastern Conference executive. “Lindy Ruff makes the Conference Finals, and Martin gets the Jack Adams for finishing fifth in the Atlantic?”

Twitter — or “X,” as some insist on calling it — exploded with hot takes. One Penguins fan account posted: “St. Louis getting Coach of the Year is like giving the Art Ross to someone who finished 37th in points because they smiled the most.”

Even hockey legend Don Cherry, long since retired from broadcasting but still somehow always a quote away, weighed in. “Look, he’s a nice guy, I like the guy, but Coach of the Year? C’mon! You gotta win to be the best. Not almost win!”

Supporters of the decision, however, defended it as a recognition of the intangibles St. Louis brought to a young, struggling team. “He turned a broken locker room into a unit that believed it could win on any given night,” said one NHL insider. “He didn’t just coach games — he coached culture.”

Indeed, throughout the season, St. Louis was praised for his player-first mentality, creative drills, and ability to relate to the Canadiens’ youth movement. Under his leadership, players like Juraj Slafkovský and Kaiden Guhle took visible steps forward, while Nick Suzuki found a new gear in leadership.

“He believed in us even when nobody else did,” Suzuki said following the announcement. “I mean, we didn’t make the playoffs, but we scared a lot of teams. And that’s something.”

GM Kent Hughes, who’s been under pressure to accelerate the Canadiens’ rebuild, stood by the award and his coach.

“Martin didn’t just manage a team — he managed chaos. He taught patience in a market that doesn’t believe in patience. That deserves recognition.”

Critics argue that while St. Louis is well-liked and widely respected, the award should reflect success, not sentiment. Many had pegged coaches like Dallas’ Peter DeBoer or Vancouver’s Rick Tocchet as frontrunners — both of whom guided their teams to deep playoff runs.

“Look, I love a good underdog story,” said sports columnist Bruce MacKinnon, “but this feels like giving a lifetime achievement award in the middle of a second act. The team barely hit .500.”

Even St. Louis seemed aware of the scrutiny. “I know not everyone agrees with this,” he said with a smile at the press conference that followed. “But coaching isn’t just about wins. It’s about growth, grit, and sometimes… just getting your guys to believe again.”

The Canadiens organization plans to hold a special pre-season ceremony to celebrate the honor, with fans already suggesting nicknames like “Coach of the Mediocre Miracle” and “Jack Adams, but Make It Emotional.”

Whether or not St. Louis deserved the award, one thing is certain: the Canadiens — and their coach — are officially on the league’s radar again. And as fans debated the decision late into the night, the man himself returned to work, already drawing up line combos for a team he believes can prove everyone wrong in 2026.

Because if Martin St. Louis just won Coach of the Year for being almost good enough — imagine what happens if the Canadiens actually win something