How Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki played in the Habs’ 3-2 overtime win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday certainly didn’t hurt his chances of being named to the Canadian Olympic team. Realistically though, it didn’t technically help either. The final decision was reportedly made earlier than that, but only made official on New Year’s Eve, a day later. And one game shouldn’t really make a difference in the grand scheme of things. The thing is though, it’s much more than a single game or a single instance in which Suzuki has proven how great he is, to this fanbase at least.
Suzuki Leads Canadiens Past Panthers (Again)
So, rumours to the lead-up to the announcement aside, Suzuki’s inclusion should only be seen as a shock when taking into account he’s still not universally accepted as the No. 1 centre he undeniably is. If you must, put aside the game in question, in which he scored the game-tying goal late in the third period and then the game-winning goal in the extra frame, if it truly was inconsequential to how the final roster took shape. However, the fact that he set the franchise record for most overtime points in the process, at a mere 26 years of age, further reinforces how his selection is incredibly justified (with three-on-three overtime hockey also being a thing at the Olympics, for the record).
Nick Suzuki merchandise made for Team Canada live up on Fanatics next to names like Crosby and Marchand (named to the team earlier this year).
— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) December 29, 2025
For the record, the Canadiens have not been informed of any decision for Hockey Canada as of now.https://t.co/1TZA7LSzUs pic.twitter.com/fHZiddbmx5
Instead, if his critics or the proponents of another Canadian forward who just missed the cut prefer, they can refer to a separate game against the Panthers late last season, just with effectively the exact same result. By pure coincidence, it took place on April Fool’s Day, when, down 2-1, with literally seconds left on the clock, defenseman Lane Hutson rushed up ice and put the puck on net. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, a Team Canada forward already named to the roster, tried to deflect it out of harm’s way only to accidentally redirect it right to Suzuki, who scored to send the game to overtime, during which he once again played the hero. So, it’s accurate to say he has a knack.
Related: Canadiens Sweep Panthers on Strength of Suzuki’s Two Goals
Of note, the first of Suzuki’s two goals against the Panthers (last April 1; I know, it’s hard to keep track) set a new career-high 78 points. He went on to score 89 in 2024-25, putting him just two points back of fellow-top-line-centre Sidney Crosby, another Canadian who made the country’s preliminary roster (sixth overall among pivots). Suzuki is meanwhile on pace to set yet another career-high in 2025-26, with 13 goals and 31 assists through 39 games so far (93). More to the point, for this piece’s purposes, Suzuki trails only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid (admittedly two other centres) in scoring by Canadian players (any position) in the calendar year.
Suzuki Justifiably Makes Canadian Team
That isn’t to suggest Suzuki should make the roster simply because Crosby has already and the former is scoring at a higher pace. There are undeniably other factors at work, including previous championship and Olympic experience, which Crosby has in spades. However, it’s fairly clear Suzuki is in somewhat rarified air in terms of how much he’s producing, with his two-way play also generally considered to be fairly strong, as a potential Frank J. Selke Trophy candidate.
It’s natural to get very tribal and protective of one’s favourite players. However, Suzuki clearly makes the grade, regardless of the subject being taught. Any suggestion he’s not deserving of the honour to represent Canada would be disingenuous at best and represent flat-out anti-Suzuki (and Canadiens) bias at worst.
On the flip side of the coin, if you are a Canadiens fans, it’s similarly natural to feel pride on Suzuki’s behalf for his accomplishment but protective of him by preferring he had not been named. That way, he could be taking a break like most of the rest of the team (Juraj Slafkovsky on Team Slovakia) during the Olympics rather than risk aggravating whatever has been ailing him (from ‘Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki battles injury, but soldiers on,’ Montreal Gazette, Nov. 20, 2025)… even risk his ironman streak, as he approaches 500 straight games played, should he, G-d forbid, get injured.
Still, what’s done is done. However much sense it makes to show concern over your team’s clear-cut most valuable player, there’s no other choice now but to embrace how Suzuki is about to showcase his skills on the world stage, because, under the assumption a large portion of Canadiens fans are rooting for Canada at the Olympics, it’s also pretty cut and dry: Of all the players who had not yet been named to the country’s men’s hockey team before New Year’s Eve, he was objectively one of if not the absolute best remaining.
Like it or not, the facts back that up. Suzuki gives them the best chance to win, hence the nod he received, but, more importantly, earned. This is his opportunity that he seized. This is his time to prove to the country what Canadiens fans have come to discover (time and again): He tends to make moments like this count. They in turn tend to add up, hopefully this time around to Olympic glory.