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 25) London, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Right
NHL team	Montreal Canadiens
NHL Draft	13th overall, 2017 Vegas Golden Knights
Playing career	2019–present

Nicholas Suzuki (born August 10, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a centre and is the captain for the Montreal Canadiens. This team is part of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Vegas Golden Knights first chose him in the 2017 NHL draft. He was the 13th player picked overall.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Nick Suzuki was born on August 10, 1999, in London, Ontario, Canada. His parents are Rob and Amanda. When he was very young, Nick had some health issues. But he got better as he grew up.

He started ice skating when he was just three years old. Nick became good friends with his neighbor, Isaac Ratcliffe. They started playing sports together at age eight. They played ice hockey in winter and golf and soccer in summer.

Nick and Isaac played minor ice hockey for the London Jr. Knights. They helped their team reach the semifinals in the OHL Cup. In the 2014–15 season, Nick was amazing. He scored 34 goals and had 68 points in 31 games. He was named the Alliance Hockey Player of the Year.

Junior Hockey Career

Playing for Owen Sound Attack (2015–2018)

The Owen Sound Attack team picked Nick in the 2015 OHL draft. He was the 14th player chosen. Nick joined the team in June of that year. He quickly made a big impact. In his first three games, he scored two goals and had one assist. His first goal was on September 25, 2015.

Nick scored his first hat-trick on January 30, 2016. He scored three goals in one game! He finished his first year with 20 goals. This made him the first 16-year-old Attack player to do so since 2008. He ended the season with 38 points in 63 games. Nick 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.

In the 2016–17 season, Nick was named a "Player to Watch" by the NHL. He kept scoring lots of points. He finished the regular season with 45 goals and 96 points in 65 games. He also had 23 points in 17 playoff games. The Attack made it to the OHL Western Conference Finals.

Nick won two awards that season: the William Hanley Trophy and the CHL Sportsman of the Year award. He got these for being a great player and for hardly getting any penalties. In June 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights chose Nick in the NHL draft. He was the 13th overall pick. He signed a three-year contract with them.

Nick returned to Owen Sound for the 2017–18 season. He was named an assistant captain. He reached some big milestones that year. On February 3, he got his 200th OHL point. On March 10, he scored his 100th OHL goal. A week later, he got his 100th point of the season. He was the fifth Attack player ever to reach 100 points in a season. Nick finished the season with 42 goals and 58 assists in 64 games. He won the William Hanley Trophy again.

After the OHL season, Nick joined the Chicago Wolves. This team is linked to the Golden Knights. He played one game in their playoffs.

Moving to Guelph Storm (2018–2019)

On September 10, 2018, Nick was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. This was a big move! He went to training camp with the Canadiens. Then he returned to Owen Sound as the team's captain.

In January 2019, Nick was traded again. He went to the Guelph Storm. He kept playing well. On February 20, he got his 300th OHL point. Nick finished the season with 34 goals and 94 points. He won the William Hanley Trophy for the third time.

The Storm had an amazing playoff run in 2019. They won the J. Ross Robertson Cup! Nick was a key player. He scored 16 goals and had 42 points in 24 playoff games. He won the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the OHL Playoff MVP. The Storm then played in the 2019 Memorial Cup. Nick won the George Parsons Trophy for being the most sportsmanlike player. He finished his junior career with 141 goals and 328 points.

Professional Hockey Career

Starting with the Canadiens (2019–2022)

Suzuki with the Canadiens in 2021

Nick 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. Nick scored his first NHL goal in his seventh game. He was the first Montreal rookie to score 41 points at age 20 or younger since Guy Lafleur.

When the NHL restarted after the COVID-19 pandemic, Nick joined the Canadiens in Toronto. He scored his first NHL playoff goal in the first game. The Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. They then lost to the Philadelphia Flyers. Nick scored four goals and had seven points in 10 playoff games. He was named to the 2019–20 NHL All-Rookie Team.

In the 2020–21 season, Nick started strong with a six-game point streak. He played on the top line with Jonathan Drouin and Josh Anderson. Later in the season, Cole Caufield joined the team. Nick and Cole quickly became a great duo. Nick finished the season with 15 goals and 41 points in 56 games.

Suzuki with the Canadiens in 2021

In the 2021 playoffs, Nick and the Canadiens faced the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto was up 3–1 in the series. But Nick scored the overtime goal in Game 5 to keep the series going. Montreal won the series in seven games! They then swept the Winnipeg Jets. The Canadiens beat the Vegas Golden Knights too. They made it to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals! This was the first time a Canadian team reached the Finals in ten years. The Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nick finished the playoffs with seven goals and 16 points in 22 games.

On October 12, 2021, Nick signed a huge eight-year contract with the Canadiens. He was also an alternate captain for the 2021–22 season. He reached his 100th career NHL point on December 7. He was the ninth-youngest player to get 100 points for Montreal. In January, Nick was chosen to represent Montreal at the 2022 NHL All-Star Game.

The Canadiens changed coaches in February. The new coach, Martin St. Louis, put Nick, Cole Caufield, and Josh Anderson on the top line. This line worked very well! Nick set new career highs with 21 goals and 61 points. He played in all 82 games. He won the Canadiens' Molson Cup award for the season.

Becoming Captain (2022–Present)

Suzuki during a game against the Seattle Kraken in 2022.

On September 12, 2022, Nick Suzuki became the captain of the Montreal Canadiens. He was the 31st captain in the team's history. At 23 years old, he was the youngest captain the team ever had! Many people in Quebec encouraged Nick to learn French to connect with the fans. Nick said he was taking online classes.

The 2022–23 season was a building year for the Canadiens. Nick and Cole Caufield were a strong pair. Coach St. Louis tried different players on their line. Kirby Dach joined them and they played very well together. Nick was chosen for the 2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game again. He finished the season with 26 goals and 66 points. He won the Molson Cup for the second year in a row.

Nick started the 2023–24 season well. On October 30, he played his 300th NHL game. It was against the Vegas Golden Knights, the team that first drafted him! He scored a goal in that game. Nick was named to the 2024 National Hockey League All-Star Game for the third time.

On March 5, Nick scored his 100th career NHL goal. It was an overtime winner! He also reached 30 goals for the first time on March 28. On April 2, he hit 70 points in a season for the first time. This was a big achievement for a Canadiens player. Nick finished the season with 33 goals and 77 points. He won his third Molson Cup award. He was also nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his leadership and charity work.

In the 2024–25 season, Nick reached more milestones. On November 11, 2024, he got his 300th career NHL point. On December 7, he played his 400th career NHL game. On December 21, he got his 200th career assist.

International Play

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

In November 2015, Nick played for Hockey Canada in the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. His team, Canada White, won the gold medal! He scored one goal and had four points in six games. The next year, he played for the Canadian national under-18 team. He played in the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. Canada finished in fifth place.

As part of the Canadian national junior team, Nick played in the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He had three assists in five games. Canada lost in the quarterfinals to Finland.

Personal Life

Nick's younger brother, Ryan, also plays hockey. The Carolina Hurricanes drafted Ryan in 2019. The Suzuki brothers are also distantly related to David Suzuki. He is a famous scientist and TV presenter. David Suzuki is their grandfather's first cousin.

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

Nick started dating Caitlin Fitzgerald in 2016. She is also from London, Ontario. They got engaged on April 24, 2024.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
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					15	2	8	10	6

Awards and Honours