| Nick Suzuki | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Suzuki with theMontreal Canadiens in 2022 | |||
| Born | (1999-08-10)August 10, 1999 (age 26) London, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team | Montreal Canadiens | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL draft | 13th overall,2017 Vegas Golden Knights | ||
| Playing career | 2019–present | ||
Nicholas Masaru James Suzuki[1] (born August 10, 1999) is a Canadian professionalice hockey player who is acentre andcaptain for theMontreal Canadiens of theNational Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 13th overall, by theVegas Golden Knights in the2017 NHL entry draft. Known for his craftiness, Suzuki earned the nickname "Slick Nick".[2]
Suzuki was born on August 10, 1999, inLondon, Ontario,[3] to parents Rob and Amanda.[4] As a child, he suffered from several health conditions includinghand, foot, and mouth disease, several bouts ofpneumonia due torespiratory syncytial virus, and recurrentear infections, the latter of which required surgery to inserttympanostomy tubes. Suzuki's health improved as he grew older, and he began ice skating at the age of three.[5] He befriended his neighbourIsaac Ratcliffe, and the two began playing sports together when they were eight:ice hockey in the winter, andgolf andsoccer in the summer.[6] Suzuki and Ratcliffe went on to playminor ice hockey together for the London Jr. Knights, where they led their team to the semifinals of the annualOHL Cup.[7] After leading the league with 34goals and 68points in 31 games, Suzuki was named theALLIANCE Hockey Player of the Year for the 2014–15 season.[8]
Selected in the first round (14th overall) of the2015 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) priority selection draft by theOwen Sound Attack,[9] Suzuki signed with the team that June.[10] He made an immediate impact upon his debut, with two goals and one assist through the first three games of the2015–16 season.[11] This included his first careermajor junior goal against theKitchener Rangers on September 25.[12] After finishing the first half of his rookie campaign with anovertime goal against theLondon Knights,[13] Suzuki registered his first OHLhat-trick on January 30 in a 5–2 win over theOttawa 67's.[14] He scored his 20th goal of the year in the last regular-season game, a 7–3 loss to Kitchener,[15] becoming the first Attack rookie to produce 20 goals in his 16-year-old season sinceJoey Hishon in 2008.[16] With 38 cumulative points in 63 games played, Suzuki was the only 16-year-old in the OHL over the course of the season to score 20 or more goals.[17] He added two more goals in six postseason games before the Knights eliminated Owen Sound in the first round.[18] Thereafter, he was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team atcentre.[19]
Entering the2016–17 season, Suzuki, who had a goal and an assist in his first four games, was named a Player to Watch by theNHL Central Scouting Bureau.[20] By mid-December, Suzuki was eighth in the OHL with 43 points and had already tied his previous season high of 20 goals. He was subsequently named to Team Cherry at the 2017CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.[21] He was the top-ranked member of the Attack in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's mideterm report, named the number 16 North American skatingprospect.[22] Suzuki moved up to 10th in the final Central Scouting Rankings after ending the regular season with 45 goals and 96 points in 65 games.[23] He added an additional eight goals and 23 points in 17 postseason games as the Attack reached the OHL Western Conference Finals,[24][25] where they were eliminated by theErie Otters in six games.[26] At the end of his sophomore season, Suzuki was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team,[27] and he also received both theWilliam Hanley Trophy and theCHL Sportsman of the Year award after recording only 10penalty minutes in 65 games.[28][29] In June 2017, theVegas Golden Knights of theNational Hockey League (NHL) selected Suzuki in the first round, 13th overall, of that year'sNHL entry draft, and signed him to anentry-level contract the following month.[30]
Initially attending the Golden Knights' training camp prior to the2017–18 season, Suzuki would be reassigned to Owen Sound on September 22.[31] Upon his return, he was named anassistant captain for the Attack.[32] Suzuki recorded several milestones over the course of the ensuingOHL season. On February 3, 2018, he registered his 200th OHL point with an assist on Kevin Hancock's goal against the Kitchener Rangers.[33] His 100th OHL goal came on March 10, in a 3–0 win over theSaginaw Spirit.[34] One week later, Suzuki earned his 100th point of the season, scoring two goals and recording an assist against theSarnia Sting. He became the fifth Attack player in history to record a 100-point season, and the first sinceBobby Ryan during the2006–07 season.[35] Suzuki finished his third OHL season with 42 goals and 58 assists in 64 games, and he was awarded his second consecutive William Hanley Trophy after recording only 18 penalty minutes during the season.[36]
Owen Sound began the 2018 OHL playoffs with a first-roundsweep of the London Knights, during which Suzuki recorded one goal and six points.[37] They were subsequently eliminated the following round by theSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in seven games,[38] whereas Suzuki finished the postseason with three goals and 12 points in 11 games.[24] After his OHL season concluded, the Golden Knights assigned Suzuki to theChicago Wolves, theirAmerican Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for that year'sCalder Cup playoffs.[39] Despite being swept by theRockford IceHogs in the first round, Suzuki made a brief appearance in the final game of the series.[40]
On September 10, 2018, the Golden Knights traded Suzuki, as well asTomáš Tatar and a second-round pick in the2019 NHL entry draft, to theMontreal Canadiens in exchange for veteran forwardMax Pacioretty.[41] He attended training camp with the Canadiens before returning to Owen Sound for the2018–19 season as captain of the Attack.[42] After scoring 22 goals and 45 points through the first 30 games of the OHL season, Suzuki was part of another trade on January 9, 2019 that sent himself, Zachary Roberts, andSean Durzi to theGuelph Storm in exchange for forwards Zachary Pointer and Barret Kirwin, defenceman Mark Woolley, and picks in the next four OHL priority selection drafts.[43] On February 20, he recorded his 300th OHL point with an assist on Dmitri Samorukov's game-winning overtime goal against theFlint Firebirds.[44] A natural centre, Suzuki spent more time on theright wing after the trade. He was moved back to centre at the end of February, with Nate Schnarr and longtime friend Isaac Ratcliffe on his wings.[45] This line proved quickly successful, combining for 19 goals and 48 points in a six-game span, including five goals and 20 points from Suzuki.[46] He scored 12 goals and recorded 49 points in 29 games following the midseason trade, finishing the season with 34 goals and 94 points in 59 games between the two teams. Suzuki was named to the league's 2019 Third All-Star Team,[47] and likewise received his third consecutive William Hanley Trophy for recording just 12 penalty minutes over the course of the season.[48]
After sweeping the Kitchener Rangers in the first round of the 2019 OHL playoffs, during which Suzuki and Ratcliffe combined for six goals and 13 points,[49] Guelph quickly fell into a 3–0 series deficit against the London Knights.[50] Suzuki contributed eight points in the next three games to even the series and force a winner-take-all Game 7.[51] After defeating the Knights, Guelph faced the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL Western Conference Finals. They came back to win the series from a 3–1 deficit, and Suzuki collected seven goals and 17 points in seven games.[50] Facing theOttawa 67's in Game 4 of the OHL championships, Suzuki recorded his 38th postseason point, a single-season franchise record for the Storm.[52] Guelph won theJ. Ross Robertson Cup in six games, and Suzuki, who had 16 goals and 42 points in 24 games, was named recipient of theWayne Gretzky 99 Award as the league's Playoff MVP.[53] Guelph then advanced to the2019 Memorial Cup, where they were defeated by theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) championRouyn-Noranda Huskies in the semifinal.[54] Suzuki recorded three goals and seven points in the process, and received theGeorge Parsons Trophy as the tournament's most sportsmanlike player.[55] He finished his major junior career with 141 goals and 328 points in four OHL seasons between Owen Sound and Guelph.[56]
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After making an impression on general managerMarc Bergevin during training camp, Suzuki was named to the Canadiens' opening-night roster for the2019–20 season.[57] He made his NHL debut on October 3, 2019, a 4–3shootout loss to theCarolina Hurricanes.[58] Five days later, Suzuki assisted onJoel Armia's goal against theBuffalo Sabres to earn his first career NHL point.[59] Suzuki's first career NHL goal came in just his seventh game played, when he scored onAlex Stalock in a 4–0shutout victory over theMinnesota Wild. With this, he and defencemanVictor Mete became the first Montreal teammates to score their first career goals in the same game sinceChris Higgins andAlexander Perezhogin in 2005.[60] Alternating between centre and wing, Suzuki had seven goals and 19 points by the NHL's midseason holiday break.[61] On February 8, 2020, Suzuki recorded his 35th point with an assist onIlya Kovalchuk's game-winning goal against theToronto Maple Leafs. He was the first Montreal rookie to register that many points since Higgins during the2005–06 season.[62] With four goals and 10 points in the month of February, including a team-leading fivepower play points, Suzuki was awarded theMolson Cup as Montreal's player of the month.[63] At the time that the regular NHL season was suspended indefinitely due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Suzuki had 13 goals and 41 points in 71 games.[64] He was one of only three players to appear in every regular-season game, and his 41 points were second toGuy Lafleur for the most of any Montreal rookie aged 20 or younger.[65]
With the NHL forgoing the remainder of the regular season to begin the2020 Stanley Cup playoffs that July, Suzuki was one of 31 players selected to join the team in Toronto.[66] He scored his first postseason NHL goal in the first game of the Stanley Cup qualifiers, putting Montreal up 2–0 in an eventual 3–2 win over thePittsburgh Penguins.[67] Advancing to the Eastern Conference First Round,[68] the Canadiens would lose to thePhiladelphia Flyers in six games.[69] Suzuki finished with four goals and seven points in 10 games, tyingJonathan Drouin for the most of any Canadiens skater in that year's playoffs.[70] At the end of the season, he was named to the annualNHL All-Rookie Team.[71]
Starting the2020–21 season on the top offensive line with Drouin andJosh Anderson,[72] Suzuki began the year on a six-game point streak.[73] That early-season momentum failed to carry forward: through 18 games, the Canadiens' four centres scored only eight goals, four of which were from Suzuki.[74] By midseason, Suzuki had 18 points in 28 games and was on an eight-game scoring drought.[75] At the NHLtrading deadline, Bergevin acquired veteranEric Staal to act as a mentor for Suzuki andJesperi Kotkaniemi, both of whom were struggling with consistency.[76] Suzuki also benefited from the late-season addition ofCole Caufield, who joined the Canadiens after finishing hiscollegiate career with theWisconsin Badgers. After Caufield set up Suzuki's game-tying goal against theEdmonton Oilers on May 12, the latter told reporters that the "chemistry is there" between them.[77] Collectively, Suzuki finished the regular season with 15 goals and 41 points in 56 games played.[78]
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During the ensuing2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, Suzuki and the Canadiens would face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.[79] After Toronto took a 3–1 series lead, Suzuki scored the overtime winner in Game 5 to extend the series.[80] Montreal would then take the series in seven games,[81] moving on to play theWinnipeg Jets in the second round.[82] Sweeping the Jets in four games,[83] Suzuki for his part would contribute four goals and eight points through the first 11 games of the postseason.[84] After defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games, the Canadiens faced theTampa Bay Lightning in the2021 Stanley Cup Finals, being the first time a Canadian team reached the Finals since theVancouver Canucks ten years prior.[85] The Canadiens eventually lost the series in five games,[86] whereas Suzuki finished the postseason with seven goals and 16 points in 22 games.[87]
On October 12, 2021, Suzuki signed an eight-year, $63 million extension with the Canadiens, which would carry through the 2029–30 NHL season.[88] He also served as one of several alternate captains for Montreal during the2021–22 season.[89] After recording four goals and ten points in 14 games, Suzuki was presented the Canadiens' Molson Cup for the month of November.[90] On December 7, Suzuki collected his 100th career NHL point with an assist in Montreal's 3–2 loss to the Lightning.[91] With this, he became the ninth-youngest skater to record 100 points with Montreal and, doing so in 154 games, the third-fastest of any Canadien since 1996.[92] In January, Suzuki, who led the team with 19 points in 35 games, was named Montreal's representative for the2022 NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas.[93] On February 9, the Canadiens, who were last in the league with an 8–30–7 record, fired head coachDominique Ducharme and appointedMartin St. Louis to the role on an interim basis.[94] Shortly thereafter, St. Louis placed Caufield and Anderson on the top line alongside Suzuki.[95] In their first game together, the line combined for seven points as Montreal won 5–2 against Toronto.[96] Suzuki's 40th point of the season came on March 5, his 12th point in a seven-game stretch.[97] Suzuki and Caufield were both honored with the Molson Cup for March after scoring seven goals apiece in 15 games.[98] On April 16, Suzuki scored his 20th goal of the season against theWashington Capitals,[99] while his 60th point came on April 27 against theNew York Rangers.[100] Although Montreal failed to reach the2022 Stanley Cup playoffs,[101] Suzuki nonetheless managed to set career highs with 21 goals and 61 points, while his 209 consecutive games gave him the seventh-longestiron man streak among active players. At the end of the season, Suzuki was named as the Canadiens' Molson Cup recipient.[102]
Prior to the2022–23 season, Suzuki succeededShea Weber ascaptain of the Canadiens, becoming the 31st overall for the franchise and, at 23 years old, the youngest in team history on September 12, 2022.[103] Veteran playersJoel Edmundson andBrendan Gallagher were subsequently named alternate captains.[104]
In what was expected to be a development year for the rebuilding Canadiens, coach St. Louis began experimenting with different players in the other wing position to compliment the established duo of Suzuki and Caufield on the team's first line. The early stages saw Anderson,Sean Monahan andMike Hoffman rotate through before being nextly given toKirby Dach, the former2019 third overall selection acquired by the Canadiens in the offseason, whom had held the initial expectation that he would play centre.[105] Generating strong initial results as a unit,[106][107][108] the team once again became plagued by injuries by the second half of the season, with Caufield being ruled out indefinitely due to shoulder surgery, while Dach, who also missed time, returned to the lineup and assumed position as second-line centre. After seeing his scoring pace fall off as a result, Suzuki saw a late-season surge, highlighted by a four-game sequence where he managed ten points, tying his career high of 61 points with nine games remaining in the season.[109] He would be named the NHL's second star of the week of March 20–26, the first such recognition in his career.[110] Finishing the season with 26 goals (sharing the team lead with Caufield) and 66 overall points, he would also be the Canadiens' sole representative at theAll-Star Game that season[111] and won the Molson Cup as the best franchise player for the second consecutive year.[112]
Suzuki began the2023–24 season with only marginal point production in the opening stretch of games, attracting some criticism, but began to improve his totals by late October.[113] On October 30, he played his 300th career NHL game, coincidentally against the Golden Knights, the team that had initially drafted him. He scored a goal in regulation and the Canadiens' only shootout goal in a 3–2 loss.[114] He had, to that point, seven points in seven career games against Vegas.[115] In early 2024, Suzuki was chosen to represent the Canadiens at theAll-Star Game for the third consecutive year.[116] He was also named the NHL's third star for the week of February 5–11, having had four goals and two assists across three games, which included having points on six of the Canadiens' nine goals in those games.[117] After a rotation of wingers joined Suzuki and Caufield on the top line during the early part of the season, the team's2022first overall draft pick,Juraj Slafkovský, gradually established himself as a regular presence alongside them, a combination which would enjoy strong results.[118][119][120] On March 5, Suzuki scored his 100th career NHL goal, the overtime winner in a 3–2 win over theNashville Predators.[121] Continuing to hit new milestones over the course of the season, he hit the 30-goal threshold on March 28 in a 4–1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.[122] With two goals in a 5–3 win over theFlorida Panthers on April 2, Suzuki would reach the 70-point mark for the first time in his career while also becoming the fifth Canadiens player to do so amidst thesalary cap era.[123][124] Amassing a team-leading 33 goals and 77 points, he received his third consecutive Molson Cup honor.[125] He was also the Canadiens' nominee for theKing Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL player who "best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community," citing his charitable efforts.[126]
Suzuki reached a number of career milestones in the early stages of the2024–25 season. On November 11, 2024, he registered his 300th career NHL point in a 7–5 win over the Buffalo Sabres[127] while he skated in his 400th career NHL game on December 7 versus the Washington Capitals.[128] On December 21, Suzuki contributed two assists in a 5–1 win over the visitingDetroit Red Wings, reaching and then surpassing the 200-assist threshold in the process.[129] After registering nine points through eight games during the month of February,[130] including a stretch of three goals and four assists through the Canadiens' final three games of the monthly schedule, he would be named the NHL's third star of the week for the period ending on March 2, 2025.[131] On April 3, Suzuki reached the 80-point mark, becoming the first player to reach that point total for the franchise sinceAlex Kovalev in2007–08.[132] Two days later, he surpassed 82 points on the season, securing a point-per-game (PPG) production over the course of afull league schedule as a Canadiens skater, most recently achieved by the aforementioned Kovalev.[133] With three multi-point games totaling seven points (four goals, three assists), Suzuki was named as the league's second star of the week for the period ending April 6.[134] He had a goal and an assist in the team's season-ending victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, leading the Canadiens to theStanley Cup playoffs for the first time in four years.[135] Finishing the regular season with 30 goals and 89 points, he earned his fourth straight Molson Cup honor, and was selected as the Canadiens' nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the second consecutive year.[136][137]
Suzuki began the2025–26 season playing alongside Caufield and Slafkovský, but from late November the latter was moved onto the team's second line in a bid to bolster offensive depth.[138] As a result, other players rotated onto Suzuki's wing, includingZachary Bolduc andAlexandre Texier.[139][140] On January 10, Suzuki appeared in his 500th career NHL game, becoming the sixth player in league history toskate in as many consecutive games to start their career.[141]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Canada | ||
| Men'sice hockey | ||
| World U-17 Hockey Challenge | ||
 | 2015 Canada | |
| Canada Winter Games | ||
| 2015 Canada | |
Prior to his major junior career, Suzuki was a member of Team Ontario at the2015 Canada Winter Games, winning a gold medal.[142] Thereafter, he was one of three members of the Owen Sound Attack invited byHockey Canada to participate in the annualWorld U-17 Hockey Challenge.[143] Capturing gold as part of team Canada White, Suzuki recorded one goal and four points across six tournament games.[144] The following year, he was named to theCanadian national under-18 team roster for the2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.[145] Collecting one goal and three points in four games played, Canada ultimately finished the tournament in fifth place.[146][147]
As a member of theCanadian national junior team, Suzuki participated in the2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships held inBritish Columbia. He provided three assists in five games, whereas his country was eliminated following a 2–1 quarterfinal loss toFinland, marking the first time in history that Canada had hosted the tournament and not reached the medal rounds.[148]
During the2025–26 season, Suzuki was named to theCanadian national senior team roster ahead of the2026 Winter Olympics held inMilan.[149]
Suzuki's younger brotherRyan also plays professional hockey.[150] He was selected in the first round, 28th overall, by theCarolina Hurricanes in the2019 NHL entry draft.[151] The siblings are related toDavid Suzuki, ageneticist andtelevision presenter, who is a first cousin of their grandfather.[152]
OfJapanese Canadian heritage, Suzuki is one-quarterJapanese and is consideredGosei, as his great-great grandparents immigrated to Canada in the early 1900s.[153][154] He has expressed his desire to become arole model for younger Japanese andother Asian hockey players.[155] He is also ofScottish Canadian descent on his mother's side.[156]
Upon being named Canadiens captain in September 2022, several prominent politicians in Quebec, includingCoalition Avenir Québec (CAQ)PremierFrançois Legault andParti libéral du Québec (PLQ) leaderDominique Anglade, urged Suzuki to learnFrench as a way to connect with the Montreal fanbase.[157] Pittsburgh Penguins captainSidney Crosby also privately advised him that he should do so, citing his own experience while playing in the QMJHL with theRimouski Océanic.[158] Suzuki told reporters that he had been taking online classes during the summer months as well as French in school growing up, but acknowledged he was currently better at reading the language than speaking it.[157] In 2023, he appeared in aPepsi commercial speaking French in which his pronunciation was praised.[159]
During the2016–17 OHL season, Suzuki began dating fellow Londoner Caitlin Fitzgerald after the two connected on social media while he was living inOwen Sound.[160] On April 24, 2024, the couple announced their engagement.[161] Theyeloped as part of a private ceremony held inTurks and Caicos a year later.[162] In December 2025, it was announced that they were expecting their first child.[163]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2014–15 | London Jr. Knights | ALLIANCE | 31 | 34 | 34 | 68 | 16 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 2014–15 | London Nationals | GOJHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | 63 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | 65 | 45 | 51 | 96 | 10 | 17 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 10 | ||
| 2017–18 | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | 64 | 42 | 58 | 100 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Chicago Wolves | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | 30 | 22 | 23 | 45 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Guelph Storm | OHL | 29 | 12 | 37 | 49 | 8 | 24 | 16 | 26 | 42 | 16 | ||
| 2019–20 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 71 | 13 | 28 | 41 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 56 | 15 | 26 | 41 | 26 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 82 | 21 | 40 | 61 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 82 | 26 | 40 | 66 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 82 | 33 | 44 | 77 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 82 | 30 | 59 | 89 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 455 | 138 | 237 | 375 | 139 | 37 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 4 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Ontario | CWG |  | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015 | Canada White | U17 | | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Canada | IH18 | 5th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2019 | Canada | WJC | 6th | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 21 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 6 | ||||
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Vegas Golden Knights first round draft pick 2017 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Montreal Canadiens captain 2022–present | Incumbent |