Coach Martin St. Louis lets his inner ‘player’ out after Canadiens’ Game 7 win

Martin St. Louis let his guard down after one of the biggest wins of his NHL coaching career, and the moment felt raw and real inside the Montreal Canadiens‘ locker room.

The Canadiens edged the Tampa Bay Lightning 2–1 in Game 7 on May 3 to seal a tense first-round series. The win pushed Montreal into the second round, but it also brought out a rare side of their head coach.

With energy high, St. Louis channeled a celebration similar to Leonardo DiCaprio from The Wolf of Wall Street. He shouted, “We’re not leaving!” before leading a chest-pounding chant that echoed through the room. Players joined in, turning the scene into a full team ritual.

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St. Louis later admitted he usually stays away from the players’ space, but this night felt different, and he chose to step in and celebrate.

“I feel like you can’t take the player outta me a little bit,” St. Louis said. “I don’t try to be in the locker room a lot because to me it’s their space… but every now & then I’ve had moments with them… obviously on a night like tonight, I wanted to be with them & we had some fun.”

St. Louis made sure to make the most out of the special moment.

Canadiens coach on getting the win despite low shot numbers

On the ice, the Canadiens showed grit more than dominance. Nick Suzuki opened the scoring late in the first period. Alex Newhook then scored the winner early in the third.

Montreal managed just nine shots and none in the second period, but they stayed composed. Goaltender Jakub Dobes delivered 28 saves to hold the lead.