Martin St. Louis still remembers being told he made an NHL team for the first time coming out of training camp.
“I couldn’t believe it,” the Canadiens head coach recalled Saturday as the team’s training camp continued at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard. “I was in Calgary … my first camp in Calgary. I made the team out of camp. I didn’t stay all year, but it was pretty special — not just for me but for my family.”
It was 1998 and the 23-year-old St. Louis made the Flames after never being selected at the NHL Draft. He would go on to have a Hall of Fame career as a player, but the road wasn’t smooth at the beginning.
“It’s an exciting day for any young player when they make it and it doesn’t guarantee anything else but you just made the team out of camp,” St. Louis said. “A guarantee that you reach your dream to play in the NHL, which is awesome. But it’s how do you do enough the next day and the next day to actually have a career? It’s two different things. Playing in the NHL and having a career is two different things. It’s easier to make the NHL than to have a career.”
St. Louis only played 13 games with the Flames his first season in the NHL — scoring one goal and adding one assist — before being sent down to the AHL’s Saint John Flames. The next season, St. Louis played 56 games with the Flames, posting 3-15-18 totals, and was again sent down to the AHL.
The Flames gave up on him after that and St. Louis signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a free agent. The rest is history.
As a coach now, St. Louis will probably get to tell some young players after this training camp that they made the team. Defencemen Lane Hutson and Logan Mailloux could be two of those players, while forward Owen Beck is knocking on the door for an NHL job, but seems likely to start this season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
“You know what that means for them,” St. Louis said about telling a young player he has made an NHL team. “But I tell them exactly what I just told you. Because what comes next is harder than what you just did now.”
Hutson was flying all over the ice again during Saturday’s scrimmage and made a lovely lob pass from his own end that sent Emil Heineman in on a breakaway before being stopped by goalie Cayden Primeau. Hutson was paired with Justin Barron, who also looked very good as he tries to earn a regular job in the NHL after spending much of the last two seasons with the Rocket.
St. Louis noted Barron is a good skater, has a good head for hockey, sees the ice well and can execute his passes. The coach added if Barron had 20 minutes of ice time in a game, he might have the puck on his stick for one minute. It’s those 19 minutes away from the puck that he needs to work on, including winning physical battles, boxing players out and blocking shots. Barron needs to find consistency in those things to stay in the NHL.
The veteran line of Jake Evans between Brendan Gallagher and Joel Armia stood out for the second straight day in a scrimmage with Evans and Armia both scoring as their Team 3 beat Team 1 with Hutson and Barron 2-1. Armia and Gallagher scored Friday when Team 3 beat Team 2 by a score of 6-3.
“I hate to say it, but I do like playing with him,” Evans said with a grin when asked about playing on the same line with his buddy Gallagher. “I love playing with him and Army together. It’s pretty straightforward hockey and I think we’re all pretty straightforward players. We have a little bit of skill, but we just read off each other well and things are going well so far. Just don’t tell (Gallagher) that.”
Not only are Evans and Gallagher linemates now, they also travel together to the Brossard rink with Gallagher driving.
“He just loves to drive and gas is expensive nowadays, so that’s fine with me,” Evans said with a chuckle when asked about the driving arrangement.
Newcomer Patrik Laine didn’t take part in his Team 2 morning practice before Saturday’s scrimmage, taking a therapy day.
I asked St. Louis on Saturday what’s the best advice he has for the young players at camp looking to earn a spot on the Canadiens.
“Just keep pushing,” the coach said. “Control what you can. I’ve been in those shoes and you get to camp and you’re trying to see: Is this guy doing well? Is this guy doing well? You worry about everybody around you and I think if you can really focus on yourself and not get lost in what’s happening around you, I think that’s my biggest advice.
“I think you take the pressure off,” St. Louis added. “If you compare yourself to everybody, I think you end up hurting yourself more. Just focus on yourself and keep pushing.”