During a press conference earlier today, the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Martin St-Louis, reflected on Patrik Laine’s very emotional night.

Obviously, Laine experienced a whirlwind of emotions over the past few hours.

There was his long-awaited return to the ice, the incredible reception from the Bell Centre crowd, his famous first goal, his reaction in the locker room afterwards.. and the fact that he was named the first star of the game!

What a night!

For Laine to achieve as much success as possible in Montreal, it will inevitably depend on his relationship with Martin St-Louis.

And on that front, things seem to have started off on the right foot, as we saw a heartfelt moment between Martin St-Louis and Patrik Laine live from the Canadiens’ locker room:

 

We love to see it!

Today, now that the dust has settled and emotions have calmed a bit, the head coach gave more rational and measured comments about last night’s events.

Martin St-Louis reveals the flip side of a night like the one Patrik Laine experienced yesterday

Here’s an excerpt from his statement:

»You feel the love of the fans but there’s the opposite that comes with it as well. As a person, whether as a coach or a player, you have to stay (even-keeled). You can’t get too high or too low. Obviously Montreal is a market that’s fun to be a part of but you know what comes with that. I’d rather have that than be in a market with zero emotions.»

He makes a good point.

What happened with Patrik Laine was magical, and we all want it to continue, but it’s essential to manage this intense wave of emotions carefully.

It’s clear Martin is trying to protect his player, whose expectations have inevitably risen, and this is a wonderful gesture from St-Louis.

 

Martin St-Louis also added this about Laine’s presence in the locker room:

«I think it’s important to have that (sense of encouragement) throughout your team. I think we’re a group that is happy for the success of another person. It’s not a mentality of any ego, it’s not a mentality of jealousy.»

«I believe we have an environment of a family, we all want to help each other, we want to celebrate each other’s success. When you have that, you have a group that’s together and close.»

-Martin St-Louis

 

You can truly feel a breath of fresh air with the Montreal Canadiens following this simple return from injury, and it’s beautiful to see.

It’s heartwarming to see Martin trying to protect Laine in his own way.