Canadiens' St-Louis And Bolduc Describe Montreal's Playoff Atmosphere: 'Dream Come True'

MONTREAL – From the sea of red jerseys, the torch ceremony, the waving of the white towels and the "Ole, Ole, Ole" chants, there is simply nothing more uplifting than playoff hockey at the Bell Centre.

In Montreal, hockey is a religion, which is profoundly felt upon entering the city at this time of year.

For every member of the Montreal Canadiens organization, the playoffs are truly a special time. 

It's especially special for Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis and right winger Zachary Bolduc, who grew up in Quebec idolizing the Habs.

Born and raised in Laval, Que., St-Louis adored the Canadiens and idolized players Mats Naslund and Guy Lafleur.

"I grew up 20 minutes from here, and all my idols were the Canadiens," St-Louis said. "I was able to stay up late in the playoffs and watch the whole game. The playoffs I could watch the whole game, so I was happy when they were going far, more nights past my bedtime."

Even after an illustrious 16-year NHL career and now serving in a prominent role as the Canadiens' coach, St-Louis' passion for the Habs remains the same as it did when he was a young boy watching Lafleur's hair waving in the wind. 

The 50-year-old coach, who lives near the Bell Centre, said he walks to every game, as he wants to feel the energy the city has for its beloved Canadiens. 

"I feel like we're all in this together with the fans," St-Louis said. "They're proud, they're happy. A lot of 'Good Luck, great job.' It's a lot of fun."

Bolduc grew up in Trois-Rivieres, Que., just under a two-hour drive along the St-Lawrence River from Montreal, so he was naturally a diehard Canadiens fan. 

Bolduc started his career with the St. Louis Blues but was traded to the Habs during the 2025 off-season in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux. 

Now, the 23-year-old is living out his dream, stepping onto the Bell Centre ice as a professional hockey player. 

"It's amazing," Bolduc said. "I grew up watching it, and now I have the opportunity to play for the Montreal Canadiens, and it's a dream come true. I'm happy to be here, happy for my family. Everyone can be there and enjoy it as much as they can, so it's been a fun season."

Known for being just a pure goal-scorer upon being traded to the Canadiens, Bolduc has evolved his game. 

Toward the latter half of the season and especially through the Habs' playoff run thus far, Bolduc has brought forth a strong two-way, physical brand of hockey, becoming a staple middle-six forward for the Canadiens.

"I feel like the biggest thing for him is his whole life, he's been a goal-scorer, and we are asking him to play the game," St-Louis said. "There are a lot of things in playing the game that is something you guys can't measure. I've seen a lot of progression this year with Zachary. I've been very pleased with where he's at today. 

"You bring in playoff experience that I feel like kind of fits his DNA a little bit, and he gets to elevate, which I think is great. I'm sure he's having a lot of fun right now being a kid from Montreal and playing for the Canadiens in the playoffs."

Coaching and playing for the Canadiens certainly isn't easy. It comes with a lot of pressure and expectation that can consume and overwhelm people. 

However, St-Louis and Bolduc understand how much hockey and the Canadiens mean to Montreal and Quebec, which allows them to embrace all aspects of representing the Habs. 

"The daily task is demanding," St-Louis said. "You're managing the team, you're managing the individual, the expectation, that's part of it, but I would say all that is still a lot of fun, and you feel the support from all the fans."

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.