Leadership is about influence—the ability of an individual or group to guide and inspire others, whether in life, business, or sports. In any setting, there are leaders and there are followers.
Alexander the Great once said: “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”
Coming into this season, most around the NHL—fans included—expected the Canadiens to be among the league’s bottom five. On paper, they were seen as underdogs, a team outmatched in their division and across the league. But they are led by a lion. A quiet one, but a leader in every sense of the word. His name is Nick Suzuki.
When the Canadiens named Suzuki captain, many questioned the decision, believing Brendan Gallagher should have worn the ‘C’ first. Even now, some Montreal reporters argue that Kaiden Guhle is the true leader in the room.
There’s no denying Gallagher’s or Guhle’s leadership qualities. But Suzuki’s quiet, lead-by-example approach has made him an easy target for skepticism—just as it did for captains before him. Bob Gainey was reserved and took criticism. Shea Weber wasn’t always embraced because he kept things within the room. Even Carey Price, often hailed as a leader, had his leadership overlooked at times.
But make no mistakes, the similarities are no coincidence. Beyond personalities, Suzuki has learned under Weber and has mentioned publicly that the two are in touch from time to time, the current captain seeking advice from the former.
Drawing Comparisons
Jonathan Drouin was the first to link Suzuki to one of the NHL’s great leaders.
“He’s a mini Patrice Bergeron, to me,” Drouin said in January 2021.
Since then, Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has compared Suzuki to his own captain, Aleksander Barkov.
“He’s like a real honest, hard player,” Maurice said last season. “And it starts on faceoffs, and he battles, and he’s under pucks. He’ll get into holes when he has the chance. He reminds me… Barkov would be the same kind of player.”
A few days later, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper had high praise for Suzuki.
“I think Nick Suzuki is a star, and really, I thought his coming-out party was in the Finals and that whole playoff run that year,” Cooper said. “If he was available, 32 teams would be lined up to grab that kid. It seems to me he’s mature beyond his age and the amount of games he’s played. He’s a cornerstone you build teams around. He makes other players better. I truly believe that about him.”
Predators veteran Ryan O’Reilly echoed that sentiment last year, going as far as to compare Suzuki to Henrik Zetterberg, Patrice Bergeron, and Anze Kopitar.
“He’s one of the players in the league I love to watch. Just an incredible player,” said O’Reilly. “The offensive side everybody sees, but it’s the little details… the way he reads the game. He’s got an extremely high IQ, great defensive player as well.”
Another Gear
Since returning from the 4-Nations break, the Canadiens have yet to lose, riding a five-game winning streak—this from a team many had written off multiple times this season.
Leading the charge? Their captain.
In those five games, Suzuki hasn’t just led—he’s dominated. With four goals and nine assists for 13 points (2.60 points per game), he’s been the NHL’s most productive player since the break.
It’s been reported that Suzuki met with management during the pause. What was said remains unknown. But judging by his performance, his message to the team—and the rest of the league—is crystal clear:
The Canadiens aren’t here to wait. They’re here to win. Now.
As trade deadline is upon us, Suzuki is telling management: Your move.
