History of Martin St. Louis in Timeline

Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player, currently the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. Undrafted, he played 1,134 NHL games, amassing 391 goals and 1,033 points, primarily with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004. St. Louis also played in Switzerland before retiring from the NHL in 2015 with the New York Rangers. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, he's celebrated as one of the best undrafted players ever. The Lightning retired his number 26 jersey in 2017.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1969: Universal NHL Entry Draft Creation

In 1969, the universal NHL Entry Draft was created. Martin St. Louis would later become only the 16th undrafted player to reach 1,000 NHL games since its creation.

June 18, 1975: Martin St. Louis Born

On June 18, 1975, Martin St. Louis was born. He is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player.

Others born on this day/year

1986: Last time player won Art Ross, Hart Trophies and Stanley Cup

In 2004, Martin St. Louis was the first player since Wayne Gretzky in 1986-87 to win the Art Ross Trophy, the Hart Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season.

1988: Played in Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament

In 1988, St. Louis played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Laval, Quebec.

1992: Played for the Hawkesbury Hawks

In 1992, St. Louis played one season of junior ice hockey with the Hawkesbury Hawks of the Central Junior Hockey League (CJHL).

1993: Freshman Season at University of Vermont

In 1993, during his freshman season at the University of Vermont, St. Louis had 51 points in 33 games and was named to the East Coast Athletic Conference's All-Rookie Team.

1994: Top Scorer in NCAA

During his sophomore season in 1994-95, St. Louis was among the top scorers in the NCAA, recording 71 points in 35 games.

1995: ECAC Player of the Year

In 1995, St. Louis was named the ECAC Player of the Year and earned NCAA all-American honors for the first time.

1996: Named All-Star at NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament

In 1996, St. Louis was named an all-star at the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament and scored the winning goal against Lake Superior State.

1996: Interest from NHL Teams

In the summer of 1996, St. Louis garnered interest from NHL teams but chose to complete his final year of college eligibility.

1997: Signed with Cleveland Lumberjacks

After being released by the Ottawa Senators in 1997, St. Louis signed a two-year contract with the Cleveland Lumberjacks.

1997: Graduation from University of Vermont

In 1997, Martin St. Louis graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in small business management.

1997: Earned NCAA All-American Honors

In 1997, St. Louis earned NCAA all-American honors for the third consecutive season.

1997: Won J. Edward Donnelly Award

In 1997, St. Louis won the J. Edward Donnelly Award as the top male senior athlete at the University of Vermont.

February 18, 1998: Signed with Calgary Flames

On February 18, 1998, the Calgary Flames signed St. Louis to a contract after his performance with the Cleveland Lumberjacks.

October 9, 1998: NHL Debut with Calgary Flames

On October 9, 1998, St. Louis made his NHL debut with the Calgary Flames against the San Jose Sharks.

1998: Joined the Calgary Flames

In 1998, Martin St. Louis began his NHL career with the Calgary Flames.

1999: Recalled to Calgary Flames

In 1999, St. Louis earned a recall to Calgary after scoring 26 points in 17 games with Saint John.

October 6, 2000: Made Debut with Tampa Bay Lightning

On October 6, 2000, St. Louis made his debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

November 22, 2000: Scored First Goal of the Season

On November 22, 2000, St. Louis scored his first goal of the season after struggling in the initial weeks.

2000: Contract Option Picked Up

In 2000, St. Louis' contract option was initially picked up, but later the team exposed him in the NHL Expansion Draft and bought out his contract.

2001: Led Tampa Bay Lightning in Goals

In the 2001-02 season, St. Louis was leading the Tampa Bay Lightning with 16 goals mid-season before his injury.

January 23, 2002: Broke Leg Against Pittsburgh Penguins

On January 23, 2002, St. Louis suffered a broken leg following a check by Josef Melichar of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

2002: Start of durable streak

From 2002 Martin St. Louis would miss only seven games from 2002 to 2012 due to his hockey passion and skill.

2002: Breakout Season

In the 2002-03 season, St. Louis had a breakout season finishing fourth in team scoring with 70 points.

January 30, 2003: Scored First Career Hat-Trick

On January 30, 2003, St. Louis scored his first career hat-trick in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

2003: Won First Art Ross Trophy

In 2003, St. Louis won his first Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer, accumulating 94 points.

February 17, 2004: Scored 100th Career Goal

On February 17, 2004, St. Louis scored his 100th career goal against the Philadelphia Flyers.

2004: Played for HC Lausanne

During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, St. Louis played for HC Lausanne of Switzerland's National League A.

2004: 2004 World Cup of Hockey

In 2004, Martin St. Louis joined Team Canada for the first time, appearing at the World Cup of Hockey. He led Canada to a 2–1 victory over the United States and won the tournament.

2004: Won Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay Lightning

In 2004, Martin St. Louis won the Stanley Cup championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

2005: Ironman streak begins

In 2005, Martin St. Louis began an "ironman" streak, playing in every game since that year. This streak would eventually reach 499 consecutive games, making it the third longest active streak in the NHL at the time.

2005: Signed Extension with Lightning

When the NHL resumed in 2005-06, St. Louis signed a six-year contract extension with the Lightning.

2006: 2006 Winter Olympics

In 2006, Martin St. Louis played in his first Olympic Games with Team Canada. The team struggled and finished in seventh place.

2006: Greatest Offensive Year

The 2006-07 season was St. Louis' greatest offensive year as he topped the 100-point plateau for the first time.

February 9, 2007: Played 500th Career Game

On February 9, 2007, St. Louis played in his 500th career game against the New York Rangers.

2007: Inducted into University of Vermont Athletics Hall of Fame

In 2007, the University of Vermont inducted St. Louis into its athletics Hall of Fame.

March 19, 2008: Scored 500th Career Point

On March 19, 2008, St. Louis scored his 500th career point with a goal against the Buffalo Sabres.

2008: 2008 World Championship

In 2008, Martin St. Louis played in the World Championships held in Canada. He scored ten points, and Canada won a silver medal after losing to Russia in overtime.

2009: First requested trade to the New York Rangers

In 2009, Martin St. Louis first requested a trade to the New York Rangers. He would eventually be traded there in 2014.

2009: 2009 World Championship

In 2009, Martin St. Louis led the World Championship tournament in scoring with 15 points. Canada lost to Russia in the final, earning a silver medal.

2009: Named Tournament All-Star

In 2009, St. Louis was named a tournament all-star at the World Championships after leading the event in scoring with 15 points.

2009: Won Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

In the 2009-10 season, St. Louis was voted the recipient of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player.

2010: Second Lady Byng Trophy

In 2010, Martin St. Louis achieved significant milestones, including winning the Lady Byng Trophy for the second time. He made his sixth All-Star Game appearance, was named to the second All-Star team for the third time, and finished second in league scoring with 99 points. He was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

2010: Selected as a reserve for the 2010 Winter Olympics

In 2010, Martin St. Louis was selected as a reserve by Team Canada for the Winter Olympics.

December 2011: Ironman streak ends due to injury

In early December 2011, Martin St. Louis's "ironman" streak came to an end at 499 consecutive games after he was struck in the face by a shot during practice. Despite suffering facial and sinus fractures, he only missed five games.

2012: End of durable streak

In 2012 Martin St. Louis would end his durable streak only missing seven games from 2002 to 2012 due to his hockey passion and skill.

2012: Presented with Alumni Achievement Award

In 2012, St. Louis was presented with the University of Vermont's Alumni Achievement Award.

2012: Art Ross Trophy and All-Star Selection

In 2012, during the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, St. Louis led the NHL with 43 assists and 60 points, earning him his second Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer. He was also named a second team All-Star.

2012: Led NHL in Assists

In the 2012-13 season, St. Louis led the NHL in assists.

November 19, 2013: 1,000th NHL game

On November 19, 2013, Martin St. Louis played his 1,000th NHL game against the Los Angeles Kings. He is the 286th player in NHL history to reach this milestone and recorded an assist in the game.

2013: Won Second Art Ross Trophy

In 2013, at age 37, St. Louis won his second Art Ross Trophy, becoming the oldest player to ever lead the NHL in scoring.

January 2014: Olympic Snub and Trade Request

In January 2014, Martin St. Louis was initially left off Canada's Olympic roster, leading to a trade request from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

January 18, 2014: Career high four goals in a game

On January 18, 2014, Martin St. Louis set a career high and tied a Lightning franchise record by scoring four goals in a game against the San Jose Sharks.

February 6, 2014: Selected for 2014 Winter Olympics

On February 6, 2014, Martin St. Louis was selected to replace Steven Stamkos for the 2014 Winter Olympics. He went on to win a gold medal with Canada.

March 5, 2014: Trade to the New York Rangers

On March 5, 2014, Martin St. Louis was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Ryan Callahan, draft picks, and conditional picks.

2014: Named Alternate Captain for the Rangers

In 2014, Martin St. Louis returned to the New York Rangers for what would be his last NHL season and was named an alternate captain under Ryan McDonagh.

2014: Won Gold Medal at Winter Olympics

In 2014, St. Louis won a gold medal with Canada's Olympic team at the Winter Games.

2014: Stanley Cup Finals run with the Rangers

In 2014, after the death of his mother, France, Martin St. Louis played a pivotal role in leading the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they eventually lost to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.

July 2, 2015: Retirement from professional hockey

On July 2, 2015, Martin St. Louis formally announced his retirement from professional hockey after receiving other offers in free agency.

2015: Ended NHL Career

In 2015, Martin St. Louis ended his NHL career with the New York Rangers.

2015: 1,000th career point

In 2015, Martin St. Louis recorded a goal and an assist against the Philadelphia Flyers, reaching 1,000 points in his career. He became the sixth undrafted player in NHL history to achieve this milestone.

2015: Conditional draft picks exchange

In 2015, conditional draft picks from the trade that sent Martin St. Louis to the New York Rangers were exchanged. Both of the first-round draft picks acquired by the Lightning in this trade were eventually traded to the New York Islanders.

January 8, 2016: Jersey Retired at University of Vermont

On January 8, 2016, the University of Vermont retired St. Louis' jersey number 8 at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

October 6, 2016: Jersey retirement announcement

On October 6, 2016, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they would retire Martin St. Louis' number 26.

January 13, 2017: Jersey retirement ceremony

On January 13, 2017, Martin St. Louis' number 26 was officially retired by the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena.

January 17, 2017: Jersey Retired by Lightning

On January 17, 2017, Martin St. Louis' number 26 jersey was the first to be retired in Lightning history.

2017: Connections with Canadiens' Management

In 2017, Gorton, who had previously offered St. Louis a coaching role in the AHL, was now the Canadiens' executive vice president. Gorton recruited St. Louis to assist the team.

2017: Offered Hartford Wolf Pack Head Coach position

In 2017, Martin St. Louis was offered the position of head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, but he declined.

2018: Elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame

In 2018, Martin St. Louis was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

January 21, 2019: Special teams consultant for Columbus Blue Jackets

On January 21, 2019, Martin St. Louis became the special teams consultant for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

2021: Joining the Canadiens amid a poor season

In 2021, St. Louis was recruited to assist the Montreal Canadiens during a historically poor 8–30–7 start to the 2021-22 season.

February 9, 2022: Interim Head Coach of Montreal Canadiens

On February 9, 2022, Martin St. Louis was named interim head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.

June 1, 2022: Permanent Head Coach of Montreal Canadiens

On June 1, 2022, Martin St. Louis was named the permanent head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, signing a three-year extension.

March 17, 2023: Induction into the Tampa Bay Lightning Hall of Fame

On March 17, 2023, Martin St. Louis was inducted into the Tampa Bay Lightning Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class.

2023: Vermont's All-Time Leading Scorer

As of 2023, St. Louis continues to hold the record as Vermont's all-time leading scorer with 267 points.

April 17, 2024: Contract extension with the Canadiens

On April 17, 2024, the Montreal Canadiens exercised a two-year option on Martin St. Louis' contract, extending it through the conclusion of the 2026–27 season.