Very controversial statement about Nick Suzuki

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Elias Edmonson
September 13, 2023 (3:20 PM)

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About a year to the day ago, during its traditional annual golf tournament, the Montreal Canadiens announced the appointment of Nick Suzuki as captain. At just 23 years old at the time, the center player became the youngest captain in the franchise's history.

In this regard, over the past few days, Nick Suzuki mentioned that he learned a lot from his first season in this new role, admitting that he constantly wishes to improve with the aim of being a true leader within the organization. He notably indicated that he contacted his teammates several times this summer to ensure that their summer period was going well and that they would be fully ready for training camp.

"I learned a lot last year. Before, I used to focus on my own game, but I learned last season that I needed to constantly be there for each of my teammates, take care of them and make sure they were mentally okay.

It will be much better this year because I am more comfortable and know what awaits me." - Nick Suzuki

Moreover, the number 14 of the Tricolor indeed took the initiative to repatriate several players to Montreal to resume training with his teammates. Clearly, the CH's captain takes his role very seriously and constantly wants to improve to become a better captain, which is all to his credit.

However, the former goaltender coach, Stéphane Waite, made a somewhat controversial statement on RDS airwaves on Monday afternoon, indicating that the real captain of the Canadiens was indeed Brendan Gallagher and not Nick Suzuki. This claim is, in our opinion, a huge disrespect to all the work and progress that Suzuki has made in his new role last season, having been given the heavy task of facing the music after the numerous disappointing performances of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge.

While no one doubts that Gallagher has given body and soul for the team, and has done so for several seasons, such a statement greatly diminishes all the efforts made by the captain over the last year. Moreover, it is completely absurd to make such statements, knowing that Waite is no longer with the organization since Suzuki took up the role of captain. Certainly, the former member of the Canadiens missed a great opportunity to keep his comments to himself.

In a recent column on the site Hockey Montreal Now, journalist Marc Dumont notably defended Nick Suzuki, adding that such a statement had no place when considering the hard work the Tricolor's center has done over the past twelve months.

"It seems clear that Waite was trying to focus on Gallagher's level of effort over the years, and he is right to point it out, but it is rather easy to do without throwing Suzuki under the bus.

Not only was Suzuki the only player to have participated in all 82 games last year (while dealing with his own injuries), but he also confidently assumed the responsibility that comes with being the captain of the most illustrious hockey franchise.

It must be kept in mind that Suzuki was also the youngest captain in the team's history." - Marc Dumont

There is no doubt for Montreal fans that the true captain of the team is Nick Suzuki, and we are also convinced that his teammates feel the same way. He fully deserves this role, being the best player of the team in 2022-2023, not missing any game despite some injuries. Suzuki is unquestionably the leader of this team and he proves it every night by displaying exemplary conduct on the ice as well as in the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge locker room.