The undrafted champion — signed as an undrafted free agent and won the Hart Trophy, scoring title and Stanley Cup.
Martin St. Louis was born in Laval, Quebec in 1975. He went entirely undrafted — too small at 5ft 9in, scouts believed — and signed as an undrafted free agent. His career produced 391 goals and 642 assists for 1,033 points. He won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, winning also the Hart Trophy as MVP, the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP — one of the most comprehensive individual award sweeps in a single season in NHL history. He won the Conn Smythe despite his team winning the Stanley Cup in seven games against the Calgary Flames — no small feat. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. He won the Art Ross Trophy again in 2013. He became head coach of the Montreal Canadiens in 2022. His story — completely overlooked in the draft, achieving individual and team excellence through skill development and competitive drive — is one of hockey's great narratives about what hockey scouts miss.
Stanley Cup (2004)
Career Honours
- Stanley Cup (2004)
- Hart Trophy (2004)
- Art Ross Trophy (2004)
- Conn Smythe Trophy (2004)
- Hall of Fame (2018)