Montreal Canadiens fire head coach Dominique Ducharme, name Martin St-Louis as interim coach

Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme has been relieved of his duties amid a dismal season so far, despite reaching the playoff final last year. New interim coach Martin St-Louis is known for his exceptional career playing with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Team general manager Kent Hughes confirmed the news of Ducharme's firing after the coach was officially told earlier Wednesday, according to a statement from the NHL.

A few hours later, the team announced that Martin St-Louis, who won the Stanley Cup during an exceptional playing career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, has been named to take over in Ducharme's stead for now.

In another follow-up tweet, the Habs thanked Ducharme for leading the team to its first playoff final in nearly three decades.

In a statement, Hughes also thanked the outgoing coach, simply saying a change is needed.