Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is headed to the sidelines for the first time in his NHL career, with an upper-body injury expected to keep him out two to four weeks. His absence snaps a 546-game consecutive-games run that stood as the second-longest active streak in the League.
Suzuki had not missed a Canadiens game since entering the NHL in 2019-20. Only Brent Burns, at 1,017 straight games, carries a longer active streak. Suzuki’s 546-game run ranks 20th all-time in NHL history.
The 27-year-old center was on the ice for 21:03 in Montreal’s 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, scoring once and adding an assist before the injury news emerged.
After the horn
Montreal will have to cover a major hole at center and in the dressing room. Suzuki has opened the season with five goals and seven assists in nine games.
“It stinks,” Juraj Slafkovsky said. “He is one of the biggest pieces of our team. We cannot change it, so we have to battle for him and hope we can win while he is out, so he returns with us in a good position.”
Cole Caufield said replacing the captain will not fall on one player.
“It is a massive loss,” Caufield said. “No one can really replace him, and everyone knows it. The whole group needs to raise its level.”
Josh Anderson echoed that assessment, noting Suzuki’s all-around workload.
“He is our captain and such an important part of this team,” Anderson said. “He does almost everything, so there is a big gap when he is not there.”
Suzuki’s current career regular-season total is 488 points, made up of 172 goals and 316 assists. He has also produced 17 goals and 24 assists across 56 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Last season, Suzuki reached a career-best 101 points with 29 goals and 72 assists, finished plus-37, and won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.
Originally chosen 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Draft, Suzuki never played a game for Vegas. He joined Montreal in the Sept. 10, 2018 trade that sent Max Pacioretty the other way.
Next puck drop
The Canadiens visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. The game will air on CHSN, NHLN, TSN2 and RDS.
