Montreal's Suzuki Faces Multi-Week Absence With Upper-Body Injury
Montreal announced Thursday that captain Nick Suzuki will miss two to four weeks because of an upper-body injury. The issue appears to have started when he blocked a shot with his left hand during Tuesday's overtime loss to San Jose. Suzuki's streak of 546 consecutive regular-season games since his rookie season is now over, and Owen Beck was recalled from Laval.
Montreal’s captain will sit for two to four weeks with an upper-body issue, and Owen Beck has been brought up from Laval. The problem seems linked to a left-hand shot block late in Tuesday’s regulation against San Jose; Suzuki completed that 4-3 overtime defeat, which Macklin Celebrini decided.
The absence interrupts a 546-game regular-season run that began in 2019-20 and includes 56 playoff appearances. Suzuki had 12 points in nine games this season after a 101-point, Selke-winning campaign and 16 points in 19 postseason games. Montreal is 4-3-2 before a four-game trip starting Friday in Chicago and Sunday’s Heritage Classic in Winnipeg.
The injury could affect how Montreal’s fans and local hockey community experience the next few weeks, as a popular captain’s absence may reduce on-ice continuity and shift attention to replacement players. Teammates and coaches may need to adjust roles quickly, while broadcasters and fantasy players could see changed storylines. Because the timeline is short, the broader social impact may remain limited, though a longer absence could heighten concern around player workload and injury prevention.