The Canadiens surpassed expectations but the work isn't done
Management's goal for the Canadiens heading into this season was to be 'in the mix' for a playoff spot.
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The team surpassed that and made the playoffs before losing to the Washington Capitals in the first round.
How excited are you about the future of this young Canadiens squad?
That's the question answered on this Hockey Inside/Out Show Bonus episode as The Gazette's Stu Cowan is joined by former Canadiens teammates and 1986 Stanley Cup champions Chris Nilan and Rick Green.
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Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canadiens' standards rise as Nick Suzuki charts course for Stanley Cup
Heading into last season, the goal of Canadiens management was to be 'in the mix' for a playoff spot during Year 3 of a rebuilding process. The Canadiens surpassed that goal, making the playoffs for the first time in four years with a 40-31-11 record before losing to the Washington Capitals in five games in the first round. Captain Nick Suzuki has set a much higher goal for the Canadiens this season. 'Expectations are going to grow, and we know that, and that's fine with us,' Suzuki told RDS during an interview Thursday at the Heroes Golf Tournament to benefit the Asista Foundation . 'We all want the same goal at the end of the day — we want to be challenging for the Stanley Cup. So I think from now on, that's pretty much going to be our goal.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Suzuki also told reporters at the golf tournament that the Canadiens players had higher expectations for the team heading into last season than management, the media and fans. Suzuki is an ambassador for the Asista Foundation , which trains service dogs for mental-health support. During a news conference ahead of Thursday's tournament at the St-Raphaël Golf Club, Suzuki sat with his dog Ruby, a Golden Retriever he adopted through the Asista Foundation. Nick Suzuki & his pup Ruby 🐶 at the Asista Foundation Heroes Golf Tournament ⛳️ It was a busy off-season for Suzuki, who got married to his longtime girlfriend Caitlin Fitzgerald in June. 'It's been a pretty crazy summer with getting married and having Ruby and all that,' Suzuki told reporters at the golf tournament news conference . 'It's been fun. Got to see a lot of people, too, so it's been a good summer for me.' Suzuki and his wife have been living year-round in Montreal since he was named the youngest captain in franchise history three years ago at age 23. That has had a trickle-down effect, with many of his teammates spending more time in Montreal during the summer and skating together at the team's practice rink in Brossard. 'It's great to have guys training all together through the summer,' Suzuki said. 'There's been a bunch of us that have been able to skate and train. It's not really usually the case. I think guys have benefited a lot from training here. Obviously, we get set up pretty nicely with the gym and the ice sessions and everything in between. It's special to have this many guys stick around and good to hang out with them in the summer, too. Lots of #Habs players on the ice this morning in Brossard, including Patrik Laine, Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher, Jayden Struble, Alex Newhook and Jakub Dobes. 'We're a pretty tight-knit group already and chemistry is always there,' Suzuki added. 'But training through the summer together just kind of adds to that and I think it will be pretty good for our start.' The Canadiens made the playoffs last season despite getting off to a terrible start. They were sitting in last place in the overall NHL standings after 15 games with a 4-9-2 record, including six straight losses. The addition of defenceman Noah Dobson and forward Zachary Bolduc in off-season trades by Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has Suzuki excited heading into the coming season, which will begin Oct. 8 against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. 'We've been trading guys away for a long time and now we're adding guys — really good NHL players — to the team,' Suzuki said. 'It's exciting for everyone. Talking to Dober and Bolduc coming in, they're really excited to join the group. It's an exciting time for the Canadiens and I think the players and the fans … can see that and (we're) just excited to get the season going.' Suzuki, en français SVP! 🙏🤗 @Antho_Martineau Suzuki is coming off a career-best season in which he posted 30-59-89 totals to finish 14th in the NHL in scoring, along with a plus-19 differential. He is among the 42 NHL players invited by Hockey Canada to a three-day Olympic orientation camp next week in Calgary ahead of the Milano Cortina Olympic Games in February. 'It's obviously an honour to get invited to that orientation camp,' Suzuki said. 'It will be nice to get around a lot of the players and the coaches and the management staff. Just kind of an opportunity to meet with everyone there. It's obviously a huge goal of mine for this season. Since I was a little kid, I wanted to play in the Olympics, so it would be cool if that were to happen.' But Suzuki's biggest goal is to eventually win a Stanley Cup with the Canadiens. When asked at Thursday's news conference what he's most excited about for the coming season, Suzuki smiled and said: 'Having Ruby in the post-game wins.' He then added: 'Winning more, obviously. It's always the most fun part of the season.'
Ottawa Citizen
2 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Canadiens' standards rise as Nick Suzuki charts course for Stanley Cup
Article content Heading into last season, the goal of Canadiens management was to be 'in the mix' for a playoff spot during Year 3 of a rebuilding process. Article content The Canadiens surpassed that goal, making the playoffs for the first time in four years with a 40-31-11 record before losing to the Washington Capitals in five games in the first round. Article content Captain Nick Suzuki has set a much higher goal for the Canadiens this season. Article content Article content 'Expectations are going to grow, and we know that, and that's fine with us,' Suzuki told RDS during an interview Thursday at the Heroes Golf Tournament to benefit the Asista Foundation. 'We all want the same goal at the end of the day — we want to be challenging for the Stanley Cup. So I think from now on, that's pretty much going to be our goal.' Article content Suzuki also told reporters at the golf tournament that the Canadiens players had higher expectations for the team heading into last season than management, the media and fans. Article content Suzuki is an ambassador for the Asista Foundation, which trains service dogs for mental-health support. During a news conference ahead of Thursday's tournament at the St-Raphaël Golf Club, Suzuki sat with his dog Ruby, a Golden Retriever he adopted through the Asista Foundation. Article content Nick Suzuki & his pup Ruby 🐶 at the Asista Foundation Heroes Golf Tournament ⛳️ — /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 21, 2025 Article content 'It's been a pretty crazy summer with getting married and having Ruby and all that,' Suzuki told reporters at the golf tournament news conference. 'It's been fun. Got to see a lot of people, too, so it's been a good summer for me.' Article content Suzuki and his wife have been living year-round in Montreal since he was named the youngest captain in franchise history three years ago at age 23. That has had a trickle-down effect, with many of his teammates spending more time in Montreal during the summer and skating together at the team's practice rink in Brossard. Article content 'It's great to have guys training all together through the summer,' Suzuki said. 'There's been a bunch of us that have been able to skate and train. It's not really usually the case. I think guys have benefited a lot from training here. Obviously, we get set up pretty nicely with the gym and the ice sessions and everything in between. It's special to have this many guys stick around and good to hang out with them in the summer, too.
Montreal Gazette
3 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Canadiens' standards rise as Nick Suzuki charts course for Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens Heading into last season, the goal of Canadiens management was to be 'in the mix' for a playoff spot during Year 3 of a rebuilding process. The Canadiens surpassed that goal, making the playoffs for the first time in four years with a 40-31-11 record before losing to the Washington Capitals in five games in the first round. Captain Nick Suzuki has set a much higher goal for the Canadiens this season. 'Expectations are going to grow, and we know that, and that's fine with us,' Suzuki told RDS during an interview Thursday at the Heroes Golf Tournament to benefit the Asista Foundation. 'We all want the same goal at the end of the day — we want to be challenging for the Stanley Cup. So I think from now on, that's pretty much going to be our goal.' Suzuki also told reporters at the golf tournament that the Canadiens players had higher expectations for the team heading into last season than management, the media and fans. Suzuki is an ambassador for the Asista Foundation, which trains service dogs for mental-health support. During a news conference ahead of Thursday's tournament at the St-Raphaël Golf Club, Suzuki sat with his dog Ruby, a Golden Retriever he adopted through the Asista Foundation. Nick Suzuki & his pup Ruby at the Asista Foundation Heroes Golf Tournament ️ — /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 21, 2025 It was a busy off-season for Suzuki, who got married to his longtime girlfriend Caitlin Fitzgerald in June. 'It's been a pretty crazy summer with getting married and having Ruby and all that,' Suzuki told reporters at the golf tournament news conference. 'It's been fun. Got to see a lot of people, too, so it's been a good summer for me.' Suzuki and his wife have been living year-round in Montreal since he was named the youngest captain in franchise history three years ago at age 23. That has had a trickle-down effect, with many of his teammates spending more time in Montreal during the summer and skating together at the team's practice rink in Brossard. 'It's great to have guys training all together through the summer,' Suzuki said. 'There's been a bunch of us that have been able to skate and train. It's not really usually the case. I think guys have benefited a lot from training here. Obviously, we get set up pretty nicely with the gym and the ice sessions and everything in between. It's special to have this many guys stick around and good to hang out with them in the summer, too. Lots of #Habs players on the ice this morning in Brossard, including Patrik Laine, Ivan Demidov, David Reinbacher, Jayden Struble, Alex Newhook and Jakub Dobes. — Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) August 21, 2025 'We're a pretty tight-knit group already and chemistry is always there,' Suzuki added. 'But training through the summer together just kind of adds to that and I think it will be pretty good for our start.' The Canadiens made the playoffs last season despite getting off to a terrible start. They were sitting in last place in the overall NHL standings after 15 games with a 4-9-2 record, including six straight losses. The addition of defenceman Noah Dobson and forward Zachary Bolduc in off-season trades by Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has Suzuki excited heading into the coming season, which will begin Oct. 8 against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. 'We've been trading guys away for a long time and now we're adding guys — really good NHL players — to the team,' Suzuki said. 'It's exciting for everyone. Talking to Dober and Bolduc coming in, they're really excited to join the group. It's an exciting time for the Canadiens and I think the players and the fans ... can see that and (we're) just excited to get the season going.' Suzuki, en français SVP! @Antho_Martineau — TVA Sports (@TVASports) August 21, 2025 Suzuki is coming off a career-best season in which he posted 30-59-89 totals to finish 14th in the NHL in scoring, along with a plus-19 differential. He is among the 42 NHL players invited by Hockey Canada to a three-day Olympic orientation camp next week in Calgary ahead of the Milano Cortina Olympic Games in February. 'It's obviously an honour to get invited to that orientation camp,' Suzuki said. 'It will be nice to get around a lot of the players and the coaches and the management staff. Just kind of an opportunity to meet with everyone there. It's obviously a huge goal of mine for this season. Since I was a little kid, I wanted to play in the Olympics, so it would be cool if that were to happen.' But Suzuki's biggest goal is to eventually win a Stanley Cup with the Canadiens. When asked at Thursday's news conference what he's most excited about for the coming season, Suzuki smiled and said: 'Having Ruby in the post-game wins.' He then added: 'Winning more, obviously. It's always the most fun part of the season.'
