NHL: Kent Hughes doesn't know when Martin St. Louis will return to the Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes did not have any information to share about when head coach Martin St. Louis might join the team on Monday.

On Saturday afternoon, before the game against the Calgary Flames, the Habs announced that their coach would be out for an indefinite period due to family reasons.

Hughes, who was present at the general managers' meeting earlier this week, commented briefly on the situation, expressing his desire to respect St. Louis' privacy. The exact reasons for his absence from St. Louis were not revealed out of respect for the family's privacy.

“Family is always the priority,” the CEO said.

“We have done our best to allow him to be with his family as soon as possible. We have no further information at the moment regarding when he might return,” he added.

In his absence, Trevor Letowski took over the leadership of the team against the Flames, and the match ended in a 5-2 loss, and he led his first training session on Monday.

Continuity by Trevor Litowski

As an assistant, Trevor Letowski is close to the players and focuses on specific aspects to discuss with them. The role changes a bit as a head coach. He becomes the leader of the group and must find the right words when addressing the players. His experience in the youth ranks, at the helm of the Windsor Spitfires, allows him to ensure an easier transition. »

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“We all know how seriously Martin takes his job. He has had a huge impact on us, both individually and as a team. We want to honor him.”

Not only does Letowski rely on valuable support from the coaching staff, he must also rely on leaders among the players, who must ensure that the coach's message is well received. Captain Nick Suzuki has known Litoski since he was in the youth ranks, where he worked with him with the Canadian national team. At this stage of the season, the players know what they have to do, but communication with the group leaders is even more important under these circumstances.

“It's different now. The players look at me differently, as I rarely get this kind of opportunity. My relationship with them doesn't change. Everything is going well,” said Letowski.

“Trevor is very smart and calm,” confirms Captain Nick Suzuki. Our coaches are all former players, so relationships are easy. He does good things and helps Martin a lot. »

Letowski will send Samuel Montembault into action on Tuesday against the Oilers. Quebec will try to stop a four-game losing streak. For their part, the Oilers have had just one defeat in regulation time in their last 10 games.