The disclosure of NHL coaches’ salaries plunged Martin St-Louis into even greater turmoil than his team’s poor ranking.
Although he is currently being paid US$2.9 million per season, an already controversial figure for an inexperienced coach (10th highest paid coach in the NHL), it is the next step in his contract that has people cringing : From 2025-2026, St-Louis will earn an impressive 5 million per season until 2027, placing him second among the highest paid coaches in the NHL.
For a coach with so little experience, these numbers are staggering. Jon Cooper ($5.5 million) and Mike Sullivan ($5.3 million), who have won multiple Stanley Cups, justify their salaries with years of consistent success.
Martin St-Louis, for his part, is still considered a novice in this role, not to say pee-wee with shameful results.
The Montreal Canadiens, currently in free fall, are last in their division and in the cellar of the league.
Despite this chaos, Kent Hughes extended St. Louis for two more seasons this summer, increasing his contract to three years. This decision raises a crucial question: how can such an investment in a coach with no experience and no convincing results be justified?
Even within the organization, dissenting voices are being heard. According to rumors, Jeff Gorton would have been against this early extension.
For him, a third season without a contract would have been the perfect opportunity to evaluate St. Louis’ performance before making a long-term commitment.
However, Hughes preferred to play the friendship card, removing any immediate performance pressure from his coach and making him the 3rd highest paid coach in the NHL starting next season.
This choice seems to have fueled resentment among Gorton, whose patience is reaching its limits in the face of a team that is not progressing.
According to sources close to management, Gorton recently expressed his frustration privately, criticizing not only St. Louis’ tactical decisions, but also Hughes’ passivity in this crisis.
The situation on the ice is just as worrying. Lane Hutson, touted as a generational prospect, is constantly relegated to a secondary role, while veterans like Mike Matheson string together mediocre performances without consequence. (his power play goal Saturday night bought him time_
Logan Mailloux, for his part, openly admitted that he did not understand St. Louis’ hybrid defensive system, reflecting widespread confusion among players.
Juraj Slafkovsky s’enlise et Kirby Dach s’enfonce.
Fans are starting to wonder if their development is being hampered by St. Louis’ lack of structure.
Fans and media were quick to label this situation as the “Canadian Country Club”, an environment where personal relationships and loyalty seem to take precedence over performance.
Criticism is also increasing regarding the excessive remuneration of St-Louis.
At 5 million per season, he will be paid almost as much as Jon Cooper, a coach with an impressive track record. Comparatively, Rod Brind’Amour, who transformed the Carolina Hurricanes into an elite team, only makes $2 million per season.
Supporters are tired of promises of rebuilding and future progress. On social networks, the comments are merciless:
“5 million for that? We would have been better off giving that money to a real coach.”
“Why did Hughes extend a pee-wee coach for three years? It’s embarrassing.”
“Even Gorton must regret this choice. It is an insult to the history of this club.”
If Canadians continue to stagnate or even regress, the pressure for drastic change will become unsustainable.
Names like Patrick Roy or even Pascal Vincent are already circulating as potential replacements within a few years.
If Hughes persists in protecting St. Louis, he risks compromising not only his own credibility, but also the future of this organization.
For the Montreal Canadiens, time is running out. Reconstruction can no longer be an excuse to justify failure.
If St. Louis can’t prove he deserves his role — and his salary — tough decisions will have to be made to prevent this situation from becoming one of the biggest fiascos in franchise history.
Knowing Patrick Roy’s pride, he must be furious not to find himself in the TOP 15.
Imagine, Roy doesn’t even make $1.5 million per year on Long Island, while St-Louis makes double that in 2024 and will make more than triple that in 2025-2026.
We’re talking about a winner of the Jack Adams Trophy and a coach who won everything in junior while St-Louis comes from…bantam…
It is clear that Roy does not understand the fact of being paid barely more than a million dollars per year, while St-Louis will pocket 5 million starting next season.
As you will see in the following ranking, Martin St-Louis will find himself in 3rd place among the highest paid coaches. Ridiculous.
Mike Sullivan (Pittsburgh Penguins): $5.5 million. Sullivan is the highest-paid coach in the league thanks to his two Stanley Cups and his long tenure in Pittsburgh since 2015.
Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay Lightning): $5.3 million. Cooper, on the job since 2013, is the longest-serving coach in the NHL. He led Tampa Bay to four Stanley Cup Finals, winning two titles.
Peter Laviolette (New York Rangers): $4.9 million. Laviolette is the winningest American coach in history, with more than 800 career victories, and a Stanley Cup won with the Hurricanes in 2006.
Jared Bednar (Colorado Avalanche): $4.9 million. Bednar led the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in 2022, ending the Lightning’s hopes of a three-peat.
Bruce Cassidy (Vegas Golden Knights): $4.5 million. Cassidy guided the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup in 2023 after a notable career with the Boston Bruins.
Peter DeBoer (Dallas Stars): $4.25 million. DeBoer is known for his ability to quickly transform the teams he leads.
John Tortorella (Philadelphia Flyers): $4 million. Tortorella, a former Stanley Cup winner, is known for his direct and intense style.
Paul Maurice (Florida Panthers): $3.9 million. Maurice led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2023.
Craig Berube (Toronto Maple Leafs): $3.5 million. Berube won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 before joining Toronto.
Martin St-Louis (Montreal Canadiens): $2.9 million. Although he is relatively inexperienced as a coach, St-Louis already benefits from a significant salary, which will increase to $5 million per year starting in 2025, all because of his legendary name as a player.
Rick Tocchet (Vancouver Canucks): $2.75 million. Tocchet is recognized for his ability to stabilize teams in difficulty.
Rod Brind’Amour (Carolina Hurricanes): $2 million. Despite his consistent success with the Hurricanes, Brind’Amour is paid well below his peers.
Jay Woodcroft (Edmonton Oilers): $2 million. Woodcroft is still young in his coaching career, but he has already shown promising results.
Jim Montgomery (Boston Bruins): $1.9 million. Montgomery relaunched his career in Boston after a difficult stint with Dallas.
Luke Richardson (Chicago Blackhawks): $1.5 million. Richardson is the lowest-paid coach in the league, leading a team in the midst of a rebuild.
