Over the years, Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has become more involved in the community, and since 2022, he has been a proud ambassador of the Assista Foundation. The Laval-based foundation aims to provide assistance dogs to individuals and organizations in need.
Founded in 2011, the foundation has a dual mission, giving a second chance to dogs coming out of challenging situations and training them to become assistance dogs to those facing mental health issues. As of March 2025, Assista had 104 assistance dogs in action, helping communities in Quebec and Ontario.
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On Thursday, the Foundation put on its yearly golf tournament, and Suzuki was once again the face of the event. In his media availability, the captain answered a few questions that are sure to be of interest to Canadiens’ fans. La Presse’s Eric Martel was on hand to report, and the following is based on his article.
Amongst the topics discussed on Thursday was the trade in which the Canadiens acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. Interestingly, while GM Kent Hughes contacted the captain before the Habs acquired Patrik Laine, it wasn’t the case when the brass acquired Dobson, which shows management’s awareness of the fact that the big Finn had already asked to be traded by two teams and may present a challenge in the locker room.
Suzuki, like anyone else, heard about the potential trade on the Internet and reports that he and Cole Caufield were very excited. Still, unlike everyone, he actually had Dobson’s mobile number and reached out to him to see if there was any truth to it. The blueliner told him the deal wasn’t done yet, but he seemed to be hoping it would come to be.
Suzuki played and roomed with Dobson at the 2018 World Junior Championship, and the two got on very well back then. The captain explains that they have similar behavior. He describes the new defender as a calm guy.
Of course, the arrival of Zachary Bolduc was also covered, and while Suzuki didn’t know him before the deal, he got to know him a bit at the Osheaga festival and had him as his partner for the day’s event. Speaking about the new number 76, the captain said:
I’ve watched his highlights. He has a good shot and seems to be playing the right way. He will be a good winger for us.-
As reported in many outlets, several Canadiens players have remained in Montreal this offseason, training together at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard. This has allowed Suzuki to spend quality time with a lot of them, which can only benefit the team:
We’re already a tight-knit group, and the chemistry is always there. Training together adds to that, and I think it will be suitable for our season start.-
Spending more time with rookie Ivan Demidov made him realize that the Russian youngster is a pretty funny guy who likes to laugh, but is still all down to business when it comes to hockey. The captain has been impressed by the way he focuses on an aspect of his game he wants to improve and spends days on it. Like fans and media alike, Suzuki believes it’s going to be fun to see him go this season.
On the soon-to-be UFA Patrik Laine, Suzuki says he’s looking forward to being back on the ice and proving what he can do. The captain adds he seems happy in Montreal, and he hopes that puts him in the right mindset to perform as everyone knows he can.
Unsurprisingly, the captain is hoping to convince Team Canada’s brass to take him to the Milano-Cortina Olympics in February, and he knows that won’t be easy, especially since those who played in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament have a bit of a head start. Even if he didn’t say it, Suzuki has already forced the executives to take notice with his performance post-tournament last season. You can’t get on a tear like he did, recording 37 points in 26 games, without raising a few eyebrows, especially on a team trying to make the playoffs with the stakes and the pressure being so high.
It's understandable that he also believes Lane Hutson's snub by Team USA for their orientation camp will serve as a great source of motivation for the youngster. Considering how he played last season in his Calder Trophy-winning rookie season, a Hutson who is even more motivated should be a scary thought for other teams.
In a month, the Canadiens will be playing their first preseason game, and it’s evident that the captain is excited for that moment to roll around, just like the fans, really. Nearly five months with no Habs hockey is not ideal in Montreal, and the players know it.
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