Although the intensity was there, no player left the ice on all fours at the start of Habs camp. We are a far cry from the sessions led by Patrick Roy or John Tortorella.

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In his first camp with the New York Islanders, Roy opened the machine to its full capacity. Veteran Bock Nelson even told his colleague Kevin Dubé that “it was definitely one of the toughest training sessions.”

In Philadelphia, Tortorella let his players skate for three hours without ever touching the puck.

“The Torts camps were very difficult,” Martin St-Louis admitted on Friday, recalling his years with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It is no longer as before

The Canadian’s current coach, the Quebecer, acknowledges that hockey has evolved: “The boys arrive at camp in very good shape form“.

“Of course there are different approaches. I try to challenge them physically while keeping them mentally occupied. There are different ways to get what you want,” explains St-Louis, who entrusts the athletes with their summer preparation.

His door is always open

“During camp, there are little pockets where you can increase your energy and physical needs. I try to be balanced,” he continued, adding that his door is always open.

The former star in Florida and the New York Rangers did not hesitate to visit the offices of Tortorella, Guy Boucher, Jon Cooper or Alain Vigneault.

“To have this freedom to discuss with your coach requires respect. You have to have a pretty good resume for that! Sometimes it’s not about convincing the coach, it’s just about having a discussion that can open his eyes,” he recalls.

So far, the players in the CH camp have had no complaints when it comes to playing side by side.

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