Nick Suzuki proves he belongs at the Olympics
With Olympic hockey finally underway, and the NHL participating for the first time since 2014, we have some very exciting games on the schedule while the Habs are off. It started with Canada taking on Czechia yesterday, where the favourites steamrolled their way to a convincing 5-0 win. Jon Cooper received contributions from up and down his lineup, they didn’t allow many high-quality scoring chances, and even when the Czechs found a way to make Jordan Binnington work, he turned in one of his best performances in recent memory.
There was a lot to like in that game, but since this is a Habs site, today’s focus will be on the contributions of none other than Montreal Captain Nick Suzuki.
HOCKEY M 🏒Le capitaine Nick Suzuki du @CanadiensMTL s’inscrit également au pointage C’est 5-0 pour le Canada 🇨🇦 contre la Tchéquie 🇨🇿🥳🔥@HockeyCanada @LNH_FR#MilanoCortina2026 #rcsports #hockey #jeuxolympiques #equipecanada pic.twitter.com/S2A5rroTwM
— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) February 12, 2026
This goal was just over-insurance for the win, but with a little more luck it would have been his third point of the game. He set up a Nathan MacKinnon goal earlier in the game that was waved off because his stick was caught in the skate of the player he stole the puck from, costing him two minutes in the box for tripping. Later, Suzuki stormed back at the end of a shift to break up a Czech rush, then sent the Canadians in for a two-on-one that ended with two spectacular Lukas Dostal saves on Connor McDavid. The lone insurance marker belies how well Suzuki actually played in his first Olympic contest.
His back-checking was commendable throughout the game, and he also turned heads with some effective pressure in the offensive zone. Though he’s playing on the wing, he’s bringing a lot of the two-way responsibility that have made him such an effective centre for the Habs. It is highly unlikely that he’ll be getting the power play time that he’s used to seeing in the NHL, but Jon Cooper knows he picked a difference maker at five-on-five above all else.
In the run up to the roster selection, Suzuki wasn’t even considered as a true lock to make the team. It seemed likely that he would, but even those projecting him to make the roster had him as a fourth-liner, or even an extra forward. Such is the depth of Canada; one of the highest scoring players since the Four Nations tournament wasn’t guaranteed a spot, let alone playing time. Now, he’s not just there, but skating alongside Nathan MacKinnon in a huge role for a team looking to make an entire country proud.
Other teams will have their eyes on the prize McDavid, and with good reason. But if they devote too many resources to stopping him, Nick Suzuki will be right there to make them pay.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back tonight following Canada’s game against Switzerland, and will have much more Olympic hockey on the channel throughout the tournament.
