Nick Suzuki: Everything To Know About The Montreal Canadiens’ Youngest Captain

Who is Nick Suzuki?

Born in London, Ontario, Nick Suzuki is an NHL player signed by the Montreal Canadians. Suzuki joined the team for its 2019-20 season where he made his NHL debut on October 4, 2019, against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Suzuki plays forward and wears the number 14 on his jersey, along with a captain's "C" on the front left. On September 12, 2022, Suzuki succeeded Shea Weber as captain of the Montreal Canadiens. Suzuki is the 31st captain of the franchise and the youngest captain in the team's history with Joel Edmundson and Brendan Gallagher serving as alternative captains.

Prior to joining the Habs, Suzuki appeared in 64 games with the OHL's Owen Sound Attack in 2017-18. He ranked fourth overall in the league, scoring 100 points (42 goals, 58 assists). He also registered 12 points in 11 playoff contests (3-9-12).

How did Montreal get Nick Suzuki?

​In 2018, Montreal Canadiens former general manager Marc Bergevin announced that the Habs acquired Nick Suzuki from the Vegas Golden Knights in return for Max Pacioretty.

How old is Nick Suzuki?

Nick Suzuki was born on August 10, 1999.

How much does Nick Suzuki make?

In 2021, the Montreal Canadiens announced that the team agreed to terms on an eight-year, $63 million contract extension beginning the 2022-23 season to 2029-30 with Nick Suzuki. "We are very happy to secure Nick's services for the next eight seasons," said former general manager Marc Bergevin.

That means that Suzuki is raking in an average annual salary of $7.875 million. Not too shabby!

Why is Nick Suzuki not playing?

Right now it's the NHL's off season, so Nick Suzuki isn't playing because there aren't any games till the fall. The Montreal Gazette's Stu Cowan reported that Suzuki is spending his 2023 summer in Montreal.

Suzuki has been fairly resilient, but at the beginning of the 2022-23 hockey season, he sustained a lower-body injury and was out of commission for two weeks. This happened at the same time Habs defenseman Joel Edmundson was declared out "indefinitely" with a lower-body injury as well.

The slew of injuries at the start of the season wasn't a great situation for the Montreal Canadiens but the team is used to these types of curveballs. "It's tough but it's kind of a nice lesson for us to learn early on, guys are going to go down," forward Brendan Gallagher said.

Are Nick Suzuki and Ryan Suzuki related?

Yes, Nick Suzuki and Ryan Suzuki are related.

Ryan is the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens Nick Suzuki. In fact, Nick is exactly one year, nine months and 18 days older than Ryan.

Ryan Suzuki was drafted 28th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round go the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

The duo both went through the London Junior Knights Midget AAA program. They've also each been named ALLIANCE Hockey Player of the Year - Nick in 2015, and Ryan in 2017, per the NHL.

The two also play a similar style of hockey. "I don't think there's a big difference between Ryan's game and mine. He's a bit bigger than me, but I would say we see the game the same way," outlined Nick. "He passes the puck more than me, but sometimes he should just shoot it."

Ryan and Nick have been competing against one another since childhood and have even gotten into a few hockey fights. "When we were younger, we had some disagreements when we played hockey, especially mini-sticks. One time he even needed stitches," recounted Nick. "There's always been some competition in our household."

What nationality is Nick Suzuki?

Nick Suzuki is Canadian. Suzuki's great-great-grandparents immigrated to Canada from Japan in the early 1900s — which makes the NHL player one-quarter Japanese and is considered Gosei, a term describing fifth-generation descendants of emigrants from Japan.

Does Nick Suzuki speak French?

Considering the Ontario-born player is spearheading a Quebec-based team, it's no surprise that Suzuki's French skills have been questioned. While he learned some French during his studies in southwestern Ontario, Suzuki is by no means bilingual.

Despite not speaking French fluently, Suzuki is on board with the idea that every Habs player should know some level of the French language. "We don't really use it too much and don't get to try it out that much," Suzuki said during the NHL/NHLPA player media tour just outside Las Vegas last fall "[Politicians] have the right to think that players should speak French."

According to the CBC, Suzuki is able to read better in French than speak it. "I feel like I know what I'm talking about a little bit when I speak. I read better than I'm able to have a conversation. I'm in a pretty good place. I can get better, too."

Does Nick Suzuki have a girlfriend?

Yes, Nick Suzuki is dating Caitlin Fitzgerald. Suzuki has been very public regarding his relationship with Fitzgerald, posting a number of adorable shots of the two off them on his Instagram page, including one in commemoration of National Girlfriend's Day.

The duo attended their high school prom together back in 2017, and have been together since.

Where did Nick Suzuki go to school?

Nick Suzuki took a different path typical to the average athlete. Unlike many professional hockey players, the Habs star didn’t attend a school known for its athletics programs. Instead, Suzuki attended London Waldorf School, a private school specializing in the arts.

It was there that Suzuki worked on his artistic side, developing skills in multiple artistic fields, including painting. Turns out, his creative mindset helps when it comes to the game. "It helps for sure. Thinking outside the box is a great way to be a good hockey player. Just trying to see things that other people don't," explained the 20-year-old forward. "All these kinds of art forms that I've been studying have helped my brain with thinking fast and being precise."