Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki out 2-4 weeks with an injury that ends his ironman streak

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki will miss 2-4 weeks of action due to an upper-body injury that has ended his impressive 546-game streak. This run, the second-longest in NHL history, began when Suzuki made his debut in 2019 and ranks 20th in league history. Colorado's Brent Burns leads with an astounding 1,017 consecutive games.

Suzuki, 27, was absent from practice on Thursday as the team prepared to face Chicago on Friday without their top scorer. His absence is felt deeply by teammates, with winger Cole Caufield stating, "Nobody can really fill Suzy's shoes. We know that as a group. Everybody has to step up." Suzuki played over 21 minutes in Montreal's overtime loss to San Jose on Tuesday, scoring a goal and providing an assist before being struck on the left hand by a shot from Sharks defenseman Michael Kesselring.

Despite contributing 101 points last season, Suzuki is currently tied for second on the Canadiens with five goals and 12 points in nine games. His team-mate Juraj Slafkovsky emphasized, "He's one of the biggest parts of this team. We can't do anything about it. We just got to wait and fight for him." This latest injury adds to Montreal's troubles, as they are already without promising young forward Ivan Demidov, who has been sidelined since early October with a lower-body injury.