In the heart of Brossard, as the sun rose over the Montreal Canadiens’ practice facility, something unusual was unfolding on the ice.

The atmosphere was electric—almost every star and rising prospect donned their gear, gliding across the rink in what looked like a full-scale team practice.

Fans who caught glimpses on social media were quick to buzz about the impressive turnout and the intensity of the drills. New lines were forming, chemistry was brewing, and the anticipation for the upcoming season was almost tangible.

But as the session progressed, keen observers began to notice a glaring absence. One name, perhaps the most important of all, was nowhere to be seen.

Whispers started circulating, and questions flooded in: why was the head coach missing from such a crucial gathering? Was it a personal matter, a strategic decision, or something far more intriguing behind the scenes?

Rumors swirled, and speculation ran rampant, but the real reason is not what anyone expected. It’s a detail that has quietly shaped the team’s summer preparations—and it involves a surprising rule that even the most dedicated fans might not know.

What’s really happening in Brossard? The answer might change how you see the Canadiens’ preseason entirely.

Photo credit: NHL

In the past few hours, live from Brossard, we basically witnessed a full practice of the Montreal Canadiens, or almost.

The players were practically all present, we saw regular drills, and some lines have already even been formed..

Juraj Slafkovsky, Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook, Zachary Bolduc, Ivan Demidov, Joe Veleno, Samuel Blais, Brendan Gallagher, Nick Suzuki, Patrik Laine, Jake Evans, Kirby Dach, Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Noah Dobson, Jayden Struble, Lane Hutson, Jakub Dobes, and Kaapo Kahkonen were notably all on the ice.

That said, one very important name was missing.. Martin St-Louis!

Many of you have asked the question, but why wasn’t the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens there?

We have the answer, thanks to an article published a little earlier by Maxime Truman (DansLesCoulisses).

Martin St-Louis is currently prohibited from being in Brossard to run practices with his players

You read that right.

It is outright forbidden by the National Hockey League’s collective bargaining agreement.

“Gary Bettman and the NHL formally forbid NHL teams from organizing practices or sending regular coaches onto the ice before the start of training camps.”

This prohibition therefore applies to Martin St-Louis, but also to all the regular coaches of the Montreal Canadiens.

“Finally, I was told that the ice times were paid for and reserved by the Canadiens themselves, but that the club was not allowed to send its regular coaches onto the ice and could not hold planned/organized sessions either.

This is forbidden by the collective bargaining agreement until the opening of training camp.”

– Maxime Truman

It is indeed an interesting detail to know, and that explains it all.