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 (NHL). 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 entry draft. Known for his craftiness, Suzuki earned the nickname “Slick Nick.” Since making his debut in the 2019–20 season, he has become an integral part of the Canadiens, displaying his leadership qualities and progressing into one of the league’s most reliable two-way centres.
Early Life and Background
Suzuki was born on August 10, 1999, in London, Ontario, to parents Rob and Amanda. As a child, he suffered from several health conditions, including hand, foot, and mouth disease, multiple bouts of pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus, 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, including ice hockey in the winter, and golf and soccer in the summer.
Suzuki and Ratcliffe went on to play minor ice hockey together for the London Jr. Knights, where 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, Suzuki was named the ALLIANCE Hockey Player of the Year for the 2014–15 season. 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 is also of Scottish Canadian descent on his mother’s side, and he has expressed his desire to become a role model for younger Japanese and other Asian hockey players.
Path to Professional Hockey
Selected in the first round, 14th overall, of the 2015 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) priority selection draft by the Owen Sound Attack, Suzuki signed with the team that June. He made an immediate impact upon his debut, registering two goals and one assist through his first three games of the 2015–16 season, including his first major junior goal against the Kitchener Rangers on September 25. With 38 cumulative points in 63 games played, Suzuki was the only 16-year-old in the OHL that season to score 20 or more goals, and 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 ended the regular season with 45 goals and 96 points in 65 games, then added eight goals and 23 points in 17 postseason games as the Attack reached the OHL Western Conference Finals. At season’s end, he was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team and received both the William Hanley Trophy and the CHL Sportsman of the Year award. In June 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights selected him 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
Junior and Trade to Montreal (2015–2019)
After being reassigned to Owen Sound in September 2017, Suzuki was named an assistant captain for the Attack. He recorded his 200th OHL point in February 2018 and his 100th OHL goal the following month, finishing the season with 42 goals and 58 assists in 64 games. Following the OHL playoffs, the Golden Knights assigned Suzuki to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League for the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs, where he made a brief appearance in the final game of a first-round sweep.
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. After a midseason trade to the Guelph Storm in January 2019, Suzuki helped lead Guelph to the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions, recording 16 goals and 42 points in 24 playoff games and winning the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as Playoff MVP. He finished his major junior career with 141 goals and 328 points in four OHL seasons.
NHL Debut and Playoff Runs (2019–2021)
Suzuki made his NHL debut on October 3, 2019, a 4–3 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, and earned his first career NHL goal in his seventh game against the Minnesota Wild. Despite the season being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he finished his rookie year with 13 goals and 41 points in 71 games and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. During the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Suzuki tied Jonathan Drouin for the team lead with four goals and seven points in 10 games.
In 2020–21, Suzuki recorded 15 goals and 41 points in 56 regular-season games, and added seven goals and 16 points across 22 postseason games as the Canadiens reached the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. He scored the overtime winner in Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, helped sweep the Winnipeg Jets, and contributed against the Vegas Golden Knights before Montreal eventually lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.
Montreal Canadiens Captain Era (2022–Present)
On October 12, 2021, Suzuki signed an eight-year, $63 million contract extension running through the 2029–30 NHL season. On September 12, 2022, he succeeded Shea Weber as the 31st captain in Canadiens history, becoming the youngest player to hold the role. In 2022–23, he finished with 26 goals and 66 points, was the team’s lone All-Star representative, and won the Molson Cup for the second consecutive year. In 2023–24, he posted career highs of 33 goals and 77 points, became the fifth Canadiens player to reach 70 points in the salary cap era, and was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
The 2024–25 season saw Suzuki reach 300 career NHL points, his 400th game, and the 200-assist mark, finishing with 30 goals and 89 points and leading Montreal back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in four years. He began the 2025–26 season alongside Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský, appeared in his 500th career game on January 10, and finished the year with 101 points in 82 games, the first Canadien to reach the century mark since Mats Näslund in 1985–86. His performance earned him the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, the first Canadien to win the award since Guy Carbonneau in 1992.
Driving Style and Strengths
Suzuki is recognized for his craftiness, vision, and two-way responsibility at centre. He pairs a reliable defensive game with consistent offensive production, often directing play on the first line and feeding linemates with precise primary assists. His leadership has been central to the Canadiens’ rebuild, and his partnership with Cole Caufield has become one of the most productive in the league.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include his first NHL goal against the Minnesota Wild, the overtime winner in Game 5 of the 2021 playoffs against Toronto, his appointment as Canadiens captain in 2022, his 100th NHL goal in March 2024, and his 100-point season in 2025–26 that earned him the Selke Trophy. Internationally, he represented Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, helping the team to a silver medal.
Nick Suzuki Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Suzuki’s 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, a geneticist and television presenter, who is a first cousin of their grandfather.
Personal Life
During the 2016–17 OHL season, Suzuki began dating Caitlin Fitzgerald after the two connected on social media. The couple announced their engagement on April 24, 2024, and later eloped in a private ceremony in Turks and Caicos. Their daughter, Maya, was born on April 15, 2026. Upon being named Canadiens captain, several Quebec politicians urged Suzuki to learn French, and in 2023 he appeared in a Pepsi commercial speaking French, with his pronunciation praised.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 season marked a major step forward for Suzuki and the rebuilding Canadiens. He reached 300 career NHL points on November 11, 2024, skated in his 400th career game on December 7, and surpassed the 200-assist threshold later that month. He finished the regular season with 30 goals and 89 points, leading Montreal back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in four years and earning his fourth straight Molson Cup honour.
Suzuki was once again the Canadiens’ nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, recognizing his leadership and humanitarian contributions off the ice. His consistent two-way play reinforced his reputation as one of the NHL’s most complete centres heading into the postseason.
