Nick Suzuki Bio
Nicholas Masaru James Suzuki is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who serves as the centre and captain for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. Born on August 10, 1999, in London, Ontario, Suzuki was selected in the first round, 13th overall, by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL draft. Known for his skilled play and craftiness, he earned the nickname “Slick Nick.” Since making his NHL debut in the 2019–20 season, Suzuki has become an integral part of the Canadiens organization, displaying strong leadership qualities and progressing into one of the league’s most productive forwards.
Early Life and Background
Suzuki was born on August 10, 1999, in London, Ontario, to parents Rob and Amanda. As a child, he faced several health challenges, including hand, foot, and mouth disease, multiple bouts of pneumonia, and recurrent ear infections that required surgery to insert tympanostomy tubes. His health improved as he grew older, and he began ice skating at the age of three. He befriended his neighbour Isaac Ratcliffe, and the two began playing sports together when they were eight, competing in ice hockey during winter months and golf and soccer during summer months.
Suzuki and Ratcliffe went on to play minor ice hockey together for the London Jr. Knights. They led their team to the semifinals of the annual OHL Cup. After leading the league with 34 goals and 68 points in 31 games during the 2014–15 season, Suzuki was named the ALLIANCE Hockey Player of the Year. Of Japanese Canadian heritage, Suzuki is one-quarter Japanese and is considered Gosei, as his great-great grandparents immigrated to Canada in the early 1900s. He has expressed his desire to become a role model for younger Japanese and other Asian hockey players. He is also of Scottish Canadian descent on his mother’s side.
Path to Professional Hockey
Suzuki was selected in the first round, 14th overall, by the Owen Sound Attack in the 2015 Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft. He signed with the team in June 2015 and made an immediate impact upon his debut, recording two goals and one assist through his first three games. This included his first career major junior goal against the Kitchener Rangers on September 25, 2015. After finishing his rookie season with 38 points in 63 games, Suzuki was the only 16-year-old in the OHL to score 20 or more goals. He was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team at centre.
Entering the 2016–17 season, Suzuki was named a Player to Watch by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. He was named to Team Cherry at the 2017 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and moved up to 10th in the final Central Scouting Rankings after ending the regular season with 45 goals and 96 points in 65 games. Suzuki received both the William Hanley Trophy and the CHL Sportsman of the Year award after recording only 10 penalty minutes in 65 games. In June 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights selected Suzuki in the first round, 13th overall, of the NHL entry draft and signed him to an entry-level contract the following month.
Nick Suzuki Career
OHL Career (2015–2019)
After attending the Golden Knights’ training camp prior to the 2017–18 season, Suzuki was reassigned to Owen Sound and named an assistant captain. He recorded several milestones over the course of the season. On February 3, 2018, he registered his 200th OHL point, and his 100th OHL goal came on March 10 in a 3–0 win over the Saginaw Spirit. Suzuki became the fifth Attack player in history to record a 100-point season and the first since Bobby Ryan during the 2006–07 season. He was awarded his second consecutive William Hanley Trophy after recording only 18 penalty minutes during the season.
On September 10, 2018, the Golden Knights traded Suzuki, along with Tomáš Tatar and a second-round pick, to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for veteran forward Max Pacioretty. Suzuki returned to Owen Sound for the 2018–19 season as captain. On January 9, 2019, he was traded to the Guelph Storm, where he formed a successful line with Nate Schnarr and longtime friend Isaac Ratcliffe. After the midseason trade, Suzuki scored 12 goals and recorded 49 points in 29 games, finishing the season with 34 goals and 94 points in 59 games between the two teams. He received his third consecutive William Hanley Trophy and was named to the 2019 Third All-Star Team.
In the 2019 OHL playoffs, Suzuki led Guelph to the J. Ross Robertson Cup, recording 16 goals and 42 points in 24 games. He was named recipient of the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the league’s Playoff MVP. Guelph advanced to the 2019 Memorial Cup, where Suzuki recorded three goals and seven points and received the George Parsons Trophy as the tournament’s most sportsmanlike player. He finished his major junior career with 141 goals and 328 points in four OHL seasons.
NHL Breakthrough (2019–2022)
After making an impression on general manager Marc Bergevin during training camp, Suzuki was named to the Canadiens’ opening-night roster for the 2019–20 season. He made his NHL debut on October 3, 2019, a 4–3 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Suzuki’s first career NHL goal came in just his seventh game, scoring on Alex Stalock in a 4–0 shutout victory over the Minnesota Wild. With four goals and 10 points in February, Suzuki was awarded the Molson Cup as Montreal’s player of the month. When the regular season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Suzuki had 13 goals and 41 points in 71 games. He was named to the annual NHL All-Rookie Team at the end of the season.
During the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Suzuki scored his first postseason NHL goal in the first game of the Stanley Cup qualifiers, helping Montreal defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canadiens advanced to the Eastern Conference First Round but lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games. Suzuki finished with four goals and seven points in 10 playoff games. In the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, Suzuki scored the overtime winner in Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs after Montreal had fallen into a 3–1 series deficit. Montreal won the series in seven games and ultimately reached the Stanley Cup Finals, the first Canadian team to do so since the Vancouver Canucks ten years prior. Suzuki finished the postseason with seven goals and 16 points in 22 games.
Montreal Canadiens Captain (2022–Present)
On October 12, 2021, Suzuki signed an eight-year, $63 million extension with the Canadiens through the 2029–30 season. He served as an alternate captain during the 2021–22 season. On December 7, Suzuki collected his 100th career NHL point, becoming the ninth-youngest skater to record 100 points with Montreal and the third-fastest of any Canadien since 1996. He was named Montreal’s representative for the 2022 NHL All-Star Game and finished the season with career highs of 21 goals and 61 points.
Prior to the 2022–23 season, Suzuki succeeded Shea Weber as captain of the Canadiens on September 12, 2022, becoming the 31st overall captain for the franchise and, at 23 years old, the youngest in team history. He finished that season with 26 goals and 66 overall points, sharing the team lead, and won his second consecutive Molson Cup. During the 2023–24 season, Suzuki scored his 100th career NHL goal on March 5, 2024, the overtime winner in a 3–2 win over the Nashville Predators. He reached the 30-goal threshold on March 28 and the 70-point mark for the first time in his career on April 2, becoming the fifth Canadiens player to do so in the salary cap era. He accumulated a team-leading 33 goals and 77 points and received his third consecutive Molson Cup honour.
Driving Style and Strengths
Suzuki is known for his two-way play, exceptional hockey IQ, and playmaking ability. His strong skating and positioning allow him to excel at both ends of the ice. He has developed strong chemistry with Cole Caufield and later Juraj Slafkovský on Montreal’s top line, consistently generating offensive opportunities while maintaining responsible defensive coverage. His leadership has been evident in his progression from alternate captain to team captain, guiding the Canadiens through their rebuilding phase.
Notable Events and Milestones
Suzuki reached several career milestones during the 2024–25 season. On November 11, 2024, he registered his 300th career NHL point. He skated in his 400th career NHL game on December 7 and surpassed the 200-assist threshold on December 21. On April 3, 2025, he reached the 80-point mark, becoming the first player to reach that total for the Canadiens since Alex Kovalev in 2007–08. He helped lead Montreal to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in four years, finishing the regular season with 30 goals and 89 points and earning his fourth straight Molson Cup honour.
Nick Suzuki Career Wins
Throughout his career, Suzuki has accumulated numerous individual awards and team successes across junior and professional levels. His achievements span multiple seasons in the OHL and NHL, highlighted by championship performances and consistent offensive production.
OHL Highlights
Suzuki won the J. Ross Robertson Cup with the Guelph Storm in 2019 and was named Playoff MVP with the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award. He received the George Parsons Trophy as the most sportsmanlike player at the 2019 Memorial Cup. Suzuki won the William Hanley Trophy three consecutive times (2017, 2018, 2019) as the OHL’s most sportsmanlike player, sharing the record for most wins of that award. He was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team (2016), OHL Second All-Star Team (2017), and OHL Third All-Star Team (2019). He recorded 141 goals and 328 points across four OHL seasons between Owen Sound and Guelph.
NHL and International Highlights
In the NHL, Suzuki has been named to the All-Rookie Team (2020) and won the Molson Cup four consecutive times as the Canadiens’ best player. He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2025–26 as the NHL’s best defensive forward, receiving 151 of 198 first-place votes. He was also nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy multiple times for leadership and humanitarian contributions. On the international stage, Suzuki won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the 2015 Canada Winter Games and captured gold with Canada White at the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. During the 2025–26 Winter Olympics, he helped Canada earn a silver medal, scoring crucial goals including a game-tying tally in the quarterfinal against Czechia.
Nick Suzuki Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Suzuki comes from a family with notable athletic connections. His younger brother Ryan also plays professional hockey and was selected in the first round, 28th overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2019 NHL entry draft. The siblings are related to David Suzuki, the renowned geneticist and television presenter, who is a first cousin of their grandfather. This connection provides the Suzuki brothers with a unique legacy in Canadian achievement beyond hockey.
Personal Life
Suzuki began dating fellow Londoner Caitlin Fitzgerald during the 2016–17 OHL season after the two connected on social media while he was living in Owen Sound. The couple announced their engagement on April 24, 2024, and subsequently eloped in a private ceremony held in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Their daughter Maya was born on April 15, 2026. Upon being named Canadiens captain in September 2022, Suzuki was encouraged by several prominent Quebec politicians, including Premier François Legault, to learn French to connect with the Montreal fanbase. He had been taking online French classes during the summer months and acknowledged he was better at reading the language than speaking it. In 2023, he appeared in a Pepsi commercial speaking French, receiving praise for his pronunciation.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 season marked a significant breakthrough for Suzuki and the Canadiens organization. He registered his 300th career NHL point on November 11, 2024, in a 7–5 win over the Buffalo Sabres. He surpassed the 200-assist threshold on December 21 and reached the 80-point mark on April 3, 2025, becoming the first Canadiens player to achieve that milestone since Alex Kovalev in 2007–08. Suzuki helped lead Montreal to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in four years, contributing 30 goals and 89 points during the regular season. He earned his fourth straight Molson Cup honour and was selected as the Canadiens’ nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the second consecutive year, recognizing his leadership both on and off the ice. Throughout the season, Suzuki demonstrated his value as a two-way centre capable of driving offence while maintaining defensive responsibility, positioning himself among the NHL’s elite forwards.