The Montreal Canadiens have had a busy few days. The franchise signed Chris Kreider on Saturday, re-signed Zachary Bolduc on Sunday and handed head coach Martin St. Louis a multi-year contract extension Monday, general manager Kent Hughes announced.

“Marty has done a terrific job leading our young team,” Hughes said in the official release. “He is a great communicator and teacher. We look forward to his continued efforts to mold this group into a championship-caliber team.”

St. Louis was entering the final year of his existing deal after Montreal exercised a club option that kept him under contract through the 2026-27 campaign. The Canadiens did not disclose the length or financial terms of the new agreement.

The Habs have improved every year under St. Louis' leadership, going from 68 points in 2022-23 to 76 in 2023-24, to 91—and a return to the postseason—in 2024-25.

The 2025-26 campaign was especially telling, as Montreal finished with 106 points before knocking out the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres in hard-fought seven-game series.

Although the run ended with a five-game loss to the eventual champion Carolina Hurricanes, the future is undoubtedly bright in Quebec, and St. Louis will continue steering the ship for years to come.

The 51-year-old was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award in 2024-25, presented to the NHL's top coach. He joined the organization as interim head coach in February 2022 and officially became the 32nd coach in franchise history that June.

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Although the Atlantic Division remains one of the National Hockey League's strongest, the Canadiens have positioned themselves to enjoy sustained success. The goalie of the future appears established in Jakub Dobes, while the roster features star power in reigning Selke Trophy winner Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson, who are all locked up long-term.

Montreal also possesses a nice mix of effective veterans, and Kreider should add another scoring element to the club in 2026-27.

A native of Laval, Quebec, St. Louis enjoyed a remarkable playing career. The 5-foot-8 forward broke into the NHL with the Calgary Flames, before becoming one of the most important players in Tampa Bay Lightning history. He finished his career with the New York Rangers.

He appeared in 1,134 regular-season games, amassed 1,033 points and won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, along with Olympic gold representing Canada in 2014. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.

The Habs begin their new season against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 29.