Martin St. Louis disclosed the reason for his 10-day leave of absence from the Montreal Canadiens since March 16.
In a statement, St. Louis revealed he had left the team to be with his family to tend to his youngest son Mason, who is recovering from a hockey injury.
St. Louis said:
“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.”
St. Louis' youngest son Mason suffered the injury while playing for the U15 Mid-Fairfield, a team based in Connecticut. Mason was hospitalized after suffering complications from the injury.
Per the press release, Mason's condition has stabilized and he is now recovering in Connecticut with his family by his side.
Martin St. Louis expressed his gratitude to the doctors and nurses at the hospital.
“We appreciate the Canadiens organization, our fans, and the hockey community for understanding and supporting us through Mason’s injury and recovery. I would like to extend a special thank you to the doctors and nurses that cared for him during this time. I’d also like to thank everyone for respecting my family and our privacy, and I ask to please maintain a focus on the Canadiens team and the remainder of the 2023-24 season.”
It was announced on Monday that St. Louis had rejoined the team in Denver ahead of the Canadiens-Avalanche game on Tuesday.