Who is Nick Suzuki? Age, career, stats, the Pacioretty trade, his 101-point season and Selke Trophy: the full story of the Montreal Canadiens captain.
He has never been the biggest, the fastest or the loudest player on the ice. Yet four seasons after being handed the C, Nick Suzuki produced the best season ever by a Montreal Canadiens captain. The first captain in club history to reach 100 points, a Selke Trophy winner, an Olympic medallist: this is the story of the kid from London, Ontario, who wears the Habs' C.
- 27-year-old centre, born August 10, 1999, in London, Ontario. He wears number 14.
- Drafted 13th overall by Vegas in 2017, traded to Montreal in 2018 in the Max Pacioretty deal.
- Named captain on September 12, 2022, at 23: the youngest in club history.
- 2025-26 season: 101 points, the Selke Trophy, an Olympic silver medal and an Eastern Conference Final.
Who is Nick Suzuki?
Nick Suzuki is the captain of the Montreal Canadiens and their first-line centre. He stands 5 feet 11, shoots right and plays in every situation: power play, penalty kill, key faceoffs late in games. His trademark is hockey sense: he sees the play a second before everyone else, and he is almost always available. From 2021-22 to 2025-26, he played all 82 games five seasons in a row.
From London to Owen Sound, then Vegas
Suzuki grew up in London, a hockey city in southwestern Ontario. In the OHL, with the Owen Sound Attack, he took off: 96 points in 2016-17, then 100 points (42 goals, 58 assists) in 2017-18. In between, the Vegas Golden Knights, at their very first draft, picked him 13th overall in 2017. In 2018-19, he was traded to the Guelph Storm midseason and played in the Memorial Cup.
The turning point came on September 10, 2018. Montreal traded captain Max Pacioretty to Vegas for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick. At the time, many saw Tatar as the key piece. Eight years later, Suzuki is the one wearing the C.
Nick Suzuki's key moments
A 20-year-old rookie, he put up 41 points in 71 games and locked down a centre spot in his first season.
The Canadiens reached the Stanley Cup Final. Suzuki played a central role with 16 points in 22 playoff games.
At 23, he became the 31st captain in club history and the youngest. The record belonged to Sylvio Mantha, named at 24 in 1926.
With Team Canada at the Milan-Cortina Games, he won silver. The United States won the final 2-1 in overtime.
He became the first Canadiens captain to reach 100 points and the first Hab to do it since Mats Naslund in 1985-86. A few days earlier, he had set up Cole Caufield's 50th goal.
Montreal beat Tampa Bay and Buffalo in seven games each, then fell to Carolina in the Eastern Conference Final. Suzuki finished with 16 points in 19 games.
He was named the NHL's best defensive forward. Proof that he is far more than a playmaker.
His stats, season by season
| Season | GP | G | A | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 71 | 13 | 28 | 41 |
| 2020-21 | 56 | 15 | 26 | 41 |
| 2021-22 | 82 | 21 | 40 | 61 |
| 2022-23 | 82 | 26 | 40 | 66 |
| 2023-24 | 82 | 33 | 44 | 77 |
| 2024-25 | 82 | 30 | 59 | 89 |
| 2025-26 | 82 | 29 | 72 | 101 |
| 2026-27* | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
* As of October 15, 2026, after seven games. Source: NHL. The progression is almost perfect: his point total has gone up every full season since 2021-22. This season he again leads Montreal with 9 points, including a power-play goal in Washington on October 14 (our live coverage of the game).
Why Suzuki is the right captain for this team
Today's Canadiens are a young team: Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield are all under 26. Suzuki is not a big-speech captain. He leads by example: he plays every night, against the opponent's top lines, and he still produces. Brendan Gallagher, one of the veterans who watched him grow, put it simply when he was named captain: "He's the heartbeat of our team."
His partnership with Cole Caufield has become one of the most dangerous in the NHL. When Caufield scored his 50th goal in April 2026, a first for a Canadiens player in 36 years, Suzuki was the one who set it up.
To learn everything about the team around him, read our complete Canadiens 2026-27 guide, find out who Lane Hutson is or revisit the Canadiens 2026-27 marketing playbook.
Nick Suzuki: your questions
How old is Nick Suzuki?+
Nick Suzuki was born on August 10, 1999, in London, Ontario. He is 27.
When did Nick Suzuki become captain of the Canadiens?+
On September 12, 2022. He is the 31st captain in club history and the youngest ever named, at 23.
How did Nick Suzuki end up in Montreal?+
On September 10, 2018, Vegas traded him to Montreal with Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick for Max Pacioretty.
How many points did Nick Suzuki score in 2025-26?+
101 points (29 goals, 72 assists) in 82 games. It was the first 100-point season by a Canadiens captain.
Has Nick Suzuki won any awards?+
Yes, the 2026 Selke Trophy, given to the NHL's best defensive forward. He also won Olympic silver with Canada in 2026.
What number does Nick Suzuki wear?+
He wears number 14.
Sources: NHL.com, NHL.com, Suzuki named captain, The Canadian Press via Castanet, NHL.com, Milan-Cortina 2026, NHL.com, 2026 playoffs.
