5 Mind-Blowing Martin St. Louis Facts

Martin St. Louis entered the NHL as an undrafted free agent, but ended up with one of the best careers that such a player can ask for.

St. Louis played 1,134 games in the NHL, finishing his career with 391 goals scored. His hockey history began with the Calgary Flames in 1998, and the last team he played for was the New York Rangers in 2015, but St. Louis' is best known as one of the league's elite players for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was widely considered one of the best undrafted players of all time.

Let's look at five mind-blowing facts about St. Louis:

The NHL headlines are usually about the big first round picks and how much ice time they are getting. Now here comes Martin St. Louis, who was undrafted and created his own spotlight. He played well at the University of Vermont and almost won the Hobey Baker award as the nation's top college hockey player. Despite his great college numbers, NHL scouts didn't take him seriously, primarily because they thought he was too small.

St. Louis was 5-foot-8 and weighed around 180 pounds. That height and weight typically didn't cut it for NHL standards, where the majority of players are over 6 feet tall. This only motivated him, and he was able to sign with the Calgary Flames as a free agent. However, this signing didn't work out, and he moved over to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2000. This ended up being a huge move for St. Louis and the Lightning franchise.

By the end of his career, he had picked up 1,033 points, won some serious hardware, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. The numbers speak for themselves, and the doubt from hockey analysts was put in the back of the net.

St. Louis made history in the 2003-04 season, when he won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's top point scorer. He finished that season with 94 points, 38 goals, and 56 assists. The diminutive St. Louis became the shortest player in NHL history to win a scoring title, a feat that still stands today.

This scoring accomplishment happened again at the age of 37, in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. With this milestone, he became the oldest player in NHL history to lead the league in scoring. For St. Louis, physical limits and age didn't matter. He always kept up with the league's best.

St. Louis wasn't just along for the ride of Tampa's 2004 Stanley Cup title; he was one of their main scorers. In that postseason, he scored 24 points and even had a double-overtime winning goal. The points weren't the only thing that stood out, but the guy came up in the clutch when it mattered most. St. Louis was the heartbeat of the team and was a finalist for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Without his productive numbers in the playoffs, the Lightning might not have won the Cup. He went from a regular scorer to a playoff legend.

When St. Louis came to Tampa before the 2000-01 season, the franchise had made just one playoff appearance in eight seasons. By the time he was done playing for the Lightning, the team was respected and all about chasing Stanley Cups. With a few more elite players added to the roster, Tampa Bay became a powerhouse. His leadership and work ethic became the Lightning foundation for how to win hockey games. When Tampa became a full-blown dynasty in the early 2020s, a lot of players pointed to the fact that previous legends said that this was the standard to be playing for the Lightning.

The hockey world couldn't believe that St. Louis became the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens in 2022. He had no professional coaching experience, but once again, he proved those doubters wrong. His method was about a player-first approach and rebuilding the Canadiens. St. Louis also threw in speed and a high hockey IQ into his decision-making.

Becoming a coach was kind of a full-circle moment for St. Louis and his hockey journey. He was once again overlooked, and he was able to shape the next generation of players. So even though he wasn't playing anymore, he defied the odds by becoming an NHL head coach as well.

St. Louis' career was about reinventing what the average hockey player looks like and achieving consistent excellence. The guy didn't just beat the odds, he skated all over them. Now, the term "undersized" is used a little differently by NHL scouts, and he proved that your work ethic and passion for the game can overcome how people look at you.

St. Louis continues to inspire the next generation of players in the sport of hockey, as well as athletes in the other popular sports.