St. Louis signs extension with Canadiens, who look to keep climbing this season

“We’ve had very high standards from the start. When you have continuity from year to year, (when) you’ve increased the talent level from year to year, you get some results that now raise the expectations. The approach we’ve taken all along is just stacking the days. We’ve focused on that. The rest kind of takes care of itself. I see us attacking it the same way (this season).”

Hughes is delighted to have St. Louis locked up for the next four seasons behind the bench, confident that even brighter days are ahead for a team that is seeking to win the 25th Stanley Cup for a franchise that is older than even the NHL, its last having come in 1993.

“We’ve progressed every year (under St. Louis), we made the playoffs (against) extreme odds two years ago at one point in the year,” Hughes said. “Last year he was able to maneuver the team to the conference final. He hasn’t given us any reason to doubt him. 

“The reasons we hired him weren’t simply for player development. It’s because we thought he could become an excellent coach. He’s a very, very bright guy with a very analytical mind, and I believe that Marty and our group will continue to get better.”

St. Louis stepped from behind the microphone near 9:30 a.m., headed to a series of interviews with TV reporters. Headed back to the clubhouse, he stopped to pose for a photo.

“Time to start coaching,” he said, happy the contract signing is behind him with a season of hockey straight ahead.

Top photo: Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis on Monday before the start of his team’s annual golf tournament.