Nick Suzuki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nick Suzuki
Suzuki with the Montreal 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
NHL Draft	13th overall, 2017 Vegas Golden Knights
Playing career	2019–present

Nicholas Suzuki, born on August 10, 1999, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a centre and is the captain for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Vegas Golden Knights picked him 13th overall in the 2017 NHL entry draft. People sometimes call him "Slick Nick" because of his clever playing style.

Growing Up and Starting Hockey

Suzuki was born in London, Ontario. When he was young, he faced some health challenges. But as he grew older, his health got better. He started ice skating at age three.

He became good friends with his neighbor, Isaac Ratcliffe. They started playing sports together when they were eight. They played ice hockey in the winter and golf and soccer in the summer. Suzuki and Ratcliffe played minor ice hockey for the London Jr. Knights. They helped their team reach the semifinals of the OHL Cup. Suzuki was named the ALLIANCE Hockey Player of the Year for the 2014–15 season. He led the league with 34 goals and 68 points in 31 games.

Junior Hockey Career

Playing for Owen Sound Attack (2015–2018)

Suzuki with the Owen Sound Attack in 2017

The Owen Sound Attack picked Suzuki 14th overall in the 2015 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft. He signed with them in June. He quickly made an impact, scoring two goals and one assist in his first three games. His first major junior goal was against the Kitchener Rangers on September 25.

In January, Suzuki scored his first OHL hat-trick in a 5–2 win. He scored his 20th goal of the year in the last regular-season game. This made him the first Attack rookie since 2008 to score 20 goals at age 16. He was the only 16-year-old in the OHL that season to score 20 or more goals. He also scored two goals in six playoff games. After this, he was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team as a centre.

For the 2016–17 season, Suzuki was named a Player to Watch by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. He tied his previous season high of 20 goals by mid-December. He was chosen for Team Cherry at the 2017 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Suzuki finished the regular season with 45 goals and 96 points in 65 games. He added eight goals and 23 points in 17 playoff games. The Attack reached the OHL Western Conference Finals.

Suzuki was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team. He also won the William Hanley Trophy and the CHL Sportsman of the Year award. He only had 10 penalty minutes in 65 games. In June 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights picked Suzuki 13th overall in the 2017 NHL entry draft. They signed him to a contract the next month.

Suzuki went to the Golden Knights' training camp. He was then sent back to Owen Sound for the 2017–18 season. He was named an assistant captain for the Attack. On February 3, 2018, he got his 200th OHL point. His 100th OHL goal came on March 10. A week later, he earned his 100th point of the season. Suzuki became the fifth Attack player to reach 100 points in a season. He finished his third OHL season with 42 goals and 58 assists in 64 games. He won his second William Hanley Trophy.

Owen Sound swept the London Knights in the first round of the 2018 OHL playoffs. Suzuki had one goal and six points. They were then eliminated by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Suzuki finished the playoffs with three goals and 12 points in 11 games. After his OHL season, the Golden Knights sent Suzuki to the Chicago Wolves. This team is their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. He played in one playoff game for them.

Moving to Guelph Storm (2018–2019)

On September 10, 2018, the Golden Knights traded Suzuki to the Montreal Canadiens. He went to training camp with the Canadiens. Then he returned to Owen Sound as the Attack's captain for the 2018–19 season.

On January 9, 2019, Suzuki was traded again. He went to the Guelph Storm. On February 20, he got his 300th OHL point. Suzuki played more on the right wing after the trade. He moved back to centre at the end of February. He played with Nate Schnarr and his friend Isaac Ratcliffe. This line was very successful. Suzuki scored 12 goals and 49 points in 29 games after the trade. He finished the season with 34 goals and 94 points in 59 games. Suzuki was named to the league's 2019 Third All-Star Team. He also received his third William Hanley Trophy.

In the 2019 OHL playoffs, Guelph swept the Kitchener Rangers. They then faced the London Knights and were down 3–0 in the series. Suzuki helped them come back to win the series in seven games. Guelph then faced the Saginaw Spirit. They came back from a 3–1 deficit to win that series too. Suzuki had seven goals and 17 points in seven games.

Guelph won the J. Ross Robertson Cup in six games. Suzuki had 16 goals and 42 points in 24 games. He won the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the league's Playoff MVP. Guelph then went to the 2019 Memorial Cup. They lost to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the semifinal. Suzuki had three goals and seven points. He also won the George Parsons Trophy as the tournament's most sportsmanlike player. He finished his junior career with 141 goals and 328 points in four OHL seasons.

Professional Hockey Career

Starting with the Canadiens (2019–2022)

Suzuki with the Canadiens in 2021

Suzuki impressed the Canadiens' general manager during training camp. He made the team's opening-night roster for the 2019–20 season. He played his first NHL game on October 3, 2019. Five days later, he got his first NHL point. Suzuki scored his first NHL goal in his seventh game. He and Victor Mete were the first Montreal teammates to score their first goals in the same game since 2005.

Suzuki played both centre and wing. He had seven goals and 19 points by the midseason break. On February 8, 2020, he got his 35th point. He was the first Montreal rookie to get that many points since 2005–06. Suzuki was named Montreal's player of the month for February. He had four goals and 10 points that month. When the NHL season was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Suzuki had 13 goals and 41 points in 71 games. He was one of only three players to play in every game. His 41 points were the second most for any Montreal rookie aged 20 or younger.

The NHL started the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs in July. Suzuki scored his first playoff goal in the first game. Montreal won against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canadiens lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games. Suzuki finished with four goals and seven points in 10 games. He was named to the annual NHL All-Rookie Team.

Suzuki started the 2020–21 season on the top offensive line. He began the year with a six-game point streak. By midseason, he had 18 points in 28 games. The team brought in veteran Eric Staal to help Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Suzuki also played well with Cole Caufield. Suzuki finished the regular season with 15 goals and 41 points in 56 games.

Suzuki with the Canadiens in 2021

In the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Canadiens faced the Toronto Maple Leafs. After Toronto led 3–1, Suzuki scored the overtime winner in Game 5. Montreal came back to win the series in seven games. They then swept the Winnipeg Jets in four games. Suzuki had four goals and eight points in the first 11 playoff games. After beating the Vegas Golden Knights, the Canadiens faced the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. This was the first time a Canadian team reached the Finals in ten years. The Canadiens lost the series in five games. Suzuki finished the playoffs with seven goals and 16 points in 22 games.

On October 12, 2021, Suzuki signed an eight-year contract extension with the Canadiens. He also served as an alternate captain for Montreal during the 2021–22 season. He won the Canadiens' Molson Cup for November. On December 7, Suzuki got his 100th career NHL point. He was the ninth-youngest skater to reach 100 points with Montreal. In January, Suzuki was named Montreal's representative for the 2022 NHL All-Star Game.

On February 9, the Canadiens changed their head coach. Martin St. Louis took over. St. Louis put Caufield and Anderson on the top line with Suzuki. In their first game together, the line combined for seven points. Suzuki's 40th point of the season came on March 5. Suzuki and Caufield both won the Molson Cup for March. On April 16, Suzuki scored his 20th goal of the season. His 60th point came on April 27. Montreal did not make the playoffs. Suzuki set career highs with 21 goals and 61 points. He also had the seventh-longest "iron man streak" among active players. Suzuki won the Canadiens' Molson Cup again at the end of the season.

Captain of the Canadiens (2022–Present)

Suzuki during a game against the Seattle Kraken in 2022

Before the 2022–23 season, Suzuki became the captain of the Canadiens. He was the 31st captain for the team. At 23 years old, he was the youngest captain in team history. Veteran players Joel Edmundson and Brendan Gallagher were named alternate captains.

The Canadiens were rebuilding, so coach St. Louis tried different players on the top line with Suzuki and Caufield. Kirby Dach joined the line and played well. However, injuries affected the team. Caufield had shoulder surgery. Suzuki's scoring slowed down, but he had a late-season surge. He got ten points in a four-game stretch. He tied his career high of 61 points. He was named the NHL's second star of the week from March 20–26. Suzuki finished the season with 26 goals and 66 points. He shared the team lead in goals with Caufield. He was Montreal's only player at the 2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game. He won the Molson Cup for the second year in a row.

Suzuki started the 2023–24 season with fewer points. But he improved by late October. On October 30, he played his 300th career NHL game against the Golden Knights. He scored a goal in that game. In early 2024, Suzuki was chosen for the 2024 National Hockey League All-Star Game for the third time. He was also named the NHL's third star for the week of February 5–11. He had four goals and two assists in three games.

Juraj Slafkovský joined Suzuki and Caufield on the top line. This combination worked very well. On March 5, Suzuki scored his 100th career NHL goal. It was an overtime winner. On March 28, he reached 30 goals in a season. On April 2, Suzuki reached 70 points for the first time in his career. He became the fifth Canadiens player to do so in the salary cap era. He led the team with 33 goals and 77 points. He received his third Molson Cup honor. He was also nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. This award is for leadership and community contributions.

Suzuki reached more milestones in the early part of the 2024–25 season. On November 11, 2024, he got his 300th career NHL point. On December 7, he played his 400th career NHL game. On December 21, Suzuki got two assists, passing 200 career assists. He was named the NHL's third star of the week for the period ending March 2, 2025. On April 3, Suzuki reached 80 points. He was the first Canadiens player to do this since Alex Kovalev in 2007–08. Two days later, he passed 82 points, meaning he averaged a point per game. He was named the league's second star of the week for the period ending April 6. He helped the Canadiens reach the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in four years. He finished the regular season with 30 goals and 89 points. He earned his fourth straight Molson Cup honor. He was also nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the second year.

International Play

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's ice hockey
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Gold	2015 Canada
Canada Winter Games
Gold	2015 Canada

Suzuki played for Team Ontario at the 2015 Canada Winter Games. He won a gold medal there. He was also invited to the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He won gold as part of team Canada White. He had one goal and four points in six games. The next year, he played for the Canada men's national under-18 ice hockey team. They finished fifth at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

As a member of the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team, Suzuki played in the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He had three assists in five games. Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinal.

Personal Life

Suzuki's younger brother, Ryan Suzuki, also plays professional hockey. He was picked by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2019 NHL draft. The brothers are related to David Suzuki, a famous scientist and television presenter.

Nick Suzuki is one-quarter Japanese. His great-great grandparents moved to Canada in the early 1900s. He wants to be a role model for younger Japanese and other Asian hockey players. He also has Scottish Canadian heritage from his mother's side.

When he became Canadiens captain in September 2022, some politicians in Quebec encouraged Suzuki to learn French. They felt it would help him connect with Montreal fans. Sidney Crosby, another famous hockey captain, also advised him to learn French. Suzuki said he had been taking online classes. He also learned French in school. He said he was better at reading French than speaking it. In 2023, he appeared in a Pepsi commercial speaking French. People praised his pronunciation.

In April 2024, Suzuki got engaged to Caitlin Fitzgerald. They met on social media. They had a private wedding ceremony in Turks and Caicos on June 9, 2025.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

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 Honours