Hired in June 1992, Jacques Demers engineered one of the most improbable championships in NHL history, guiding a Canadiens team that finished third in its division to the 1993 Stanley Cup, defeating the Los Angeles Kings in five games behind a legendary ten straight overtime wins that postseason. His folksy, emotionally driven motivational style — later revealed to mask his lifelong illiteracy — galvanized a veteran roster anchored by goaltender Patrick Roy. The championship remains the franchise's most recent Stanley Cup title. Performance declined over the following two seasons, and after the strike-shortened 1994-95 campaign produced the team's first missed playoffs since 1970, Demers was dismissed following an 0-5 start to 1995-96. He later served as a Canadian Senator (2009–2019) and became a prominent advocate for adult literacy.