What Happened
The Montreal Canadiens announced Thursday that captain Nick Suzuki will be sidelined two to four weeks with an upper-body injury. The team posted the update on X without additional details. The injury ends Suzuki's ironman streak at 546 regular-season games, a run that began when he joined Montreal in 2019-20. He was struck on the left hand by a Michael Kesselring shot late in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to San Jose, finished the game, and did not speak to media afterward while receiving treatment, according to team communications staff.
Key Details
- Suzuki's 546-game streak was the second-longest active behind Colorado's Brent Burns (1,017) and 20th-longest in NHL history.
- He logged just over 21 minutes against San Jose on Tuesday, recording a goal and an assist.
- The injury came when he was hit on the left hand by a Kesselring shot with just over five minutes left in the third period.
- Suzuki has five goals and 12 points in seven games this season and posted 101 points in 2025-26.
What It Means
Montreal loses its captain and one of its top producers for a stretch of the early season. Suzuki's five goals have him tied for second on the team, and his 12 points in seven games underline how central he is to the Canadiens' attack. The club will also have to replace his minutes and leadership while he recovers, and his consecutive-games run, one of the longest in league history, comes to an end.
What's Next
The Canadiens have not given a more specific timeline beyond the two-to-four-week window, and the team did not disclose further details of the injury. Montreal will continue its schedule without Suzuki while he recovers.