We now know the reason behind Martin St. Louis' absence.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The article below is an English translation of a French-language article originally published to Habsulement Fan by staff writer Marco Normandin.

The Montreal Canadiens are experiencing an emotional rollercoaster as the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes begins tonight. Yesterday morning, during the practice session before the team's departure for Raleigh, a familiar face was conspicuously absent. The absence of the Canadiens' head coach did not go unnoticed , and speculation quickly ignited social media and the media.

The head coach forced to step away temporarily

Martin St. Louis did not participate in today's practice, leaving his assistants to lead the session, as he had to temporarily leave the organization and consequently missed the team's flight to Carolina. The Montreal organization quickly confirmed that the coach's departure was due to personal family reasons, without offering further details on the exact nature of the situation.

Former player turned analyst Georges Laraque remarked on BPM Sports that when a coach leaves his team in the middle of the playoffs, it generally reflects the seriousness of his situation. The timing is obviously delicate, as the first game against Carolina was scheduled just 24 hours later.

However, general manager Kent Hughes spoke last night to allay concerns. The Canadiens' GM stated that St. Louis would join the team in Raleigh that evening and that everything was fine. Hughes was quick to clarify that this absence is unrelated to the difficult situation in 2024 when the coach's son was hospitalized after suffering a serious injury during a hockey game in the United States. He did not, however, offer any further details.

The real reason is now known.

According to Maxime Truman of Dans Les Coulisses , the real reason is once again related to his son, Mason St. Louis . But this time, it's a positive one, as the Canadiens' head coach reportedly used the time between the two series to attend his son's high school graduation, which took place Tuesday evening.

That's why he missed the team's training and flight, only to join them later.

Given the family values ​​conveyed within the locker room, this decision aligns perfectly with the team culture and we have no doubt that all the players and the organization supported him in this.