Conflicting Reports Link Canadiens to Veteran Coach Amid Struggles

With the Montreal Canadiens struggling to start the season and their coaching situation unstable, reports have started to emerge pointing toward the potential replacement of current head coach Martin St-Louis.

Former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque ignited speculation on BPM Sports when he shared that a source had sent him a photo of Canadiens GM Kent Hughes and head coach St-Louis meeting with veteran coach Gerard Gallant at a café in Toronto.

According to Laraque, the meeting hinted that Montreal could be seeking to bring in an experienced coach to support–not replace–St-Louis, though he stopped short of saying Gallant was being hired.

However, other sources have countered Laraque’s information and the reported meeting between the GM and Gallant.

TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie took to social media to clarify on X that no such meeting had taken place between Gallant and Canadiens officials, casting doubt on the rumors.

“Contrary to what’s being reported, no member of the @CanadiensMTL organization met with Gerard Gallant in Toronto or elsewhere,” Lavoie reported.

RDS’ Luc Gelinas also followed up with GM Kent Hughes, who confirmed that he and St-Louis had indeed been in Toronto but had only dined with Adam Nicholas, a Canadiens player development consultant.

Hughes told Gelinas that he hadn’t seen Gallant since the latter received his Jack Adams Trophy at the NHL Awards event held on June 27.

The Canadiens have slid to the bottom of the standings. The Habs are coming off their first win in seven games on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres. Before that, they won a game for the last time on Oct. 27.