The general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes, declared on Monday that Nick Suzuki has been elected as the team’s 31st captain in the organization’s history. Shea Weber, a seasoned defenseman who presided as club captain from 2018 to 2022, will be replaced by Suzuki. The 23-year-old center makes Canadiens history as the team’s youngest captain.
Brendan Gallagher, a winger, and Joel Edmundson, a defenseman, have been named the Canadiens’ alternative captains.
Suzuki recently completed a campaign in which he recorded a career-high 61 points (20 goals and 41 assists) and made his first appearance in an NHL All-Star Game. He played in every one of the team’s 82 regular-season games and finished first on the team in points (61), assists (41) and power-play goals (8).
Suzuki extended his contract with the Canadiens for an additional eight years and $63 million in October 2021, keeping him with the team through the 2029–30 season.
The Vegas Golden Knights originally selected Suzuki with the 13th overall choice in the 2017 NHL Draft. Suzuki, Tomas Tatar, and a second-round selection were moved to the Canadiens in September 2018 in exchange for seasoned winger Max Pacioretty. He made his Canadiens debut to start the 2019–20 season, and he was selected for the NHL All–Rookie Team. The London, Ontario native has played in 209 games over the course of his three-year career, scoring 143 points (49 goals and 94 assists).
