Playing Style
Listed at five-foot-eight inches tall, St. Louis is one of the smallest players in the NHL. Hockey Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman credited St. Louis' desire to succeed as being his primary attribute: "His long suit is his passion. Small players have to have some special attribute that makes them stand out. He's got great acceleration and hockey sense." St. Louis has also been a durable player throughout his career, missing only seven games between 2002 and 2012.
An offensive minded player throughout his amateur and minor professional career, St. Louis was forced into a checking-line role by the Calgary Flames. He credits the experience for rounding out his game: "I played a true third-line role, killing penalties and playing against the other team's top lines. For me, it was like a five-month crash course on developing my defensive game. My whole life, I had been an offensive player, and suddenly I was in the role of trying to be smart without the puck. I think those fifty-six games helped me develop into a complete player."
Read more about this topic: Martin St. Louis
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