By Canadian Press

Nick Suzuki navigating trying first season as captain of rebuilding Canadiens

Feb 10, 2023 | 1:23 PM

Nick Suzuki knew there would be challenges.

Named the youngest captain in the storied history of the Montreal Canadiens before training camp, the 23-year-old was keenly aware the rebuilding Original Six franchise would endure some tough nights.

In a trying season where injuries have once again ravaged an already thin talent pool — paving the way for more than a few ugly results — some moments have been even more difficult than he envisioned.

“It’s hard,” Suzuki said during all-star week in South Florida. “Everyone wants to win every single game, especially me. I just to try to trust the process. I’ve had a few meetings with (Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes) about that and trying not to get frustrated, but the human side of you definitely comes out. 

“It’s just trying to manage that.”

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The London, Ont., product has also had to manage parts of the job wearing the ‘C’ he didn’t necessarily expect.

Sure, there was always going to be a string of media requests and public engagements. There have also been plenty of less-than-glamorous aspects that weren’t in the captain’s manual.

“What time the bus leaves, stuff around the hotel,” Suzuki said. “People coming to me asking me for answers that I’ve never had to deal with before. Now I gotta make some calls, ask some guys what they want. But sometimes you just gotta make a decision. 

“I like being in control like that. It works out.”

There have been stretches on the ice this season, however, where it flat-out hasn’t.

Montreal suffered a 7-2 loss to Florida on Dec. 29 and a 9-2 setback to Washington on New Year’s Eve as part of a particularly bad 1-9-1 stretch.

“It a hard league,” Suzuki said. “If you’re not ready to compete every single night you can get blown out easily. 

“We couldn’t really defend anything at that point.”

A meeting with head coach Martin St. Louis, who has preached an optimistic outlook for a young group missing a boatload of injured talent, in the aftermath of the two blowouts provided a reset.

“I talked to Marty,” Suzuki explained. “Just the way he can change how he handles coming into the room. I think he said maybe he was too positive about it. But he’s been a great coach. Everyone loves him and wants to play hard. We changed a few things within the system. 

“Few tweaks here and there changed a bunch for us. We’ve been playing a little better.”

The Canadiens resume their schedule Saturday at home against the New York Islanders sporting a 20-27-4 record through 51 games, good for 27th in the overall standings.

Management is probably fine with that privately — it’s a deep NHL draft class led by Connor Bedard — but players and coaches are wired differently.

Selected by the Vegas Golden Knights with the 13th pick in 2017 before getting flipped to the Canadiens in the Max Pacioretty trade, Suzuki is confident the culture St. Louis is attempting to foster in Montreal will pay dividends.

“Done a great job with what he’s been given,” said the fourth-year centre. “He’s trying to build something special.”

Suzuki is also growing into his role on a team with a number of established veterans — at least when everyone’s healthy — he’s now expected to lead.

“Good learning process,” said Suzuki, who put up 14 goals and 29 points in the season’s first 26 games, but has just 11 points over 25 contests since. “I’m learning to speak up a bit more and helping other guys, even mid-game.”

And while still finding is way, he got to watch former Canadiens captain Shea Weber, who was traded to Vegas in a salary cap move after leading Montreal to an unlikely berth in the 2021 Stanley Cup final, go about his business for two seasons.

“Pretty similar and how we handle situations,” Suzuki said of the 37-year-old unlikely to resume his career because of injury. “Very calm leader, but when he needed to, he stepped up and spoke up and had all the respect in the room. I’m still trying to gain that as a young captain. I’m just 23 and I gotta be a leader for guys much older than me. 

“I’m just trying to do the best I can to gain respect.”

SUZUKI ON CONNERS

Suzuki won the inaugural “Pitch ‘n Puck” challenge as part of the NHL’s all-star skills competition.

The event saw players fire pucks with hockey sticks to the green before putting a golf ball into the hole.

Suzuki then got to play five actual holes with Corey Conners, the PGA Tour’s highest-ranked Canadian.

“Incredible to watch him play golf, just being up close and personal with a pro like that,” Suzuki said. “He was (4 under) through the five holes. Really impressive.”

Suzuki, who’s about a 10 handicap, was asked if Conners offered him any tips on the course. 

“I can’t pull off any of the stuff off he’s doing,” he said with a smile. 

“Just try to hit it straight.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2023.

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Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press