Canadiens coach says Seinfeld the secret to a good sleep: 'It's a show about nothing'

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis speaks to reporters following NHL hockey action against the Tampa Bay Lightning, in Montreal on Thursday, April 9, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

MONTREAL — Few jobs carry as much pressure as coaching the Montreal Canadiens, and few buildings rock louder than the Bell Centre.

Yet Martin St. Louis says he sleeps just fine, even when he’s in the middle of an intense playoff series. His secret? Spending time with Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine.

“I watch Seinfeld,” he said Saturday as a room of reporters broke out in laughter. “What is there, nine seasons? I’ve probably watched it four times in a row. To me, Seinfeld is the show that can let me disconnect from everything.”

Why’s that?

“It’s a show about nothing,” he added. “So you can just think about nothing. And you don’t even have to actually watch it, you can just listen to it because you know the characters and so it’s easy to fall asleep. For me, Seinfeld makes me disconnect.

“So here you go, try Seinfeld.”

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St. Louis couldn’t pick a favourite out of the popular sitcom’s 180 episodes, saying “it’s hard not to like all of them,” but said George Costanza was his favourite character.

A reporter jokingly followed up for his take on “Friends.”

“I like Friends, but it’s nowhere near Seinfeld,” St. Louis said.

Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson scored in overtime Friday night to give Montreal a 2-1 lead in its first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning heading into Game 4 on Sunday night.

He said he doesn’t do anything special to fall asleep after games, but he needed to give his eardrums a break after the big win in front of an electric crowd.

“Rest the ears a little bit, recover the ears because (the fans) were so loud,” Hutson said. “But yeah, nothing crazy. Just talk with my family, call them when they aren’t here and talk about the game and then try to go to bed.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2026.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press