Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki’s season ended with a five-game playoff loss to the Washington Capitals.
Judging by the latest reports, the Habs forward won’t be extending his campaign overseas.
According to Marc Antoine Godin, Suzuki declined an invitation from Hockey Canada to be included in the nation's roster for the upcoming IIHF World Championship.
“Nick Suzuki is still nursing injuries and won’t be joining Team Canada at the World Championship,” Godin reported.
Suzuki had been invited alongside fellow Canadian stars such as Sidney Crosby and his longtime friend Nathan MacKinnon, as well as out-of-retirement Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fellow Canadiens player Mike Matheson accepted a spot, but Suzuki, who hasn’t missed a game in his NHL career, revealed during his exit interview that he played through multiple injuries late in the season and during the playoffs.
“I just gotta get cleared by the team,” Suzuki said. “Was pretty banged up down the stretch and into the playoffs. We’ll see what happens.”
The Canadiens captain emphasized the need to recover during the offseason, but acknowledged that a bigger international goal remains in his sights, mostly the upcoming 2026 Olympics in Milano.
“It’s pretty big,” Suzuki said of that future opportunity. “Been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to play in the Olympics. So, I’ll try to do everything I can.
“If I have a good start next year, I feel like I can put my name in the hat.”
Suzuki produced 89 points in 82 regular-season games and added two goals in the Canadiens’ short postseason run before they dropped out of the playoffs, losing in five games to the Capitals.
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