"It was a beautiful moment" - NHL insider shares emotional moment for Habs players upon Martin St. Louis' return

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis' return evoked an emotional response from the team, according to the team play-by-play announcer on 98.5FM, Martin McGuire.

St. Louis had been away from the team for several games to support his 16-year-old son Mason, who was hospitalized due to complications from an injury suffered in a youth hockey game.

Montreal arrived in Denver for a road matchup with the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday and the team received a special surprise in the hotel lobby.

McGuire described the heartwarming scene, as St. Louis waited to greet each of his players individually.

"When the team arrived, Martin St-Louis was waiting for his players. He shook hands with them, one after the other. There are some to whom he has given hugs," McGuire recounted.

"I saw an emotional hug between him and Kaiden Guhle. Also, a very emotional hug also between him and Kent Hughes."

The strong bond between St. Louis and his roster was evident in their reactions. His leadership and connection with the team were missed during his absence.

"It was a beautiful moment. We saw the strong bond that exists between Martin St-Louis and his players and we also saw the strong bond that binds him to the management of the team," said McGuire.

"We have seen the importance of man. We saw during his absence that the team was not the same. And that's when we felt his strong presence at the head of his team."

The Canadiens had a record of 1-2-1 during St. Louis' absence.

Martin St. Louis on Montreal Canadiens' support

Martin St. Louis praised Montreal’s support after returning from the absence. He said in a release:

"Everyone within the Canadiens organization has been very supportive of my wife, Heather, and me as we fully focused on our son Mason and his recovery from a hockey injury.

"As parents, nothing is more important to us than our three sons, Ryan, Lucas, and Mason."

Martin St. Louis will be behind the bench as the Canadiens (26-32-12) face the Avalanche (46-20-5) tonight at Ball Arena.