Nick Suzuki was named youngest captain in Canadiens history.

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Suzuki is the youngest captain in team history, and just the third player of Japanese descent to be named captain of an NHL team.

Suzuki was born in London, Ontario, and played his junior hockey for the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL. He was drafted 13th overall by the Canadiens in 2017 and made his NHL debut with the team in 2019.

In his two seasons with the Canadiens, Suzuki has tallied 24 goals and 32 assists for a total of 56 points in 118 games.

“I’m extremely proud and honored to be named the captain of the Montreal Canadiens,” Suzuki said in a statement. “It’s a historic franchise with a great group of guys in the locker room. I’ll do everything I can to help this team win.”

Under new head coach Dominique Ducharme, the Canadiens are hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2020-21 season in which they missed the playoffs. Suzuki will be expected to play a big role in that turnaround.

“Nick is a young leader who has gradually earned the respect of his teammates,” Ducharme said. “He represents the future of our team, and we’re confident he has what it takes to help us reach our goals.”

Suzuki, 20, is in his second NHL season. The London, Ont., native has 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points in 56 games this campaign. He suited up for Canada at the 2020 World Juniors, picking up two goals and four assists in seven contests.

This marks the first time in Suzuki’s young career that he’s been named captain. He’ll wear the “C” for the first time Thursday night when Montreal visits the Florida Panthers.

“It’s a huge honour,” Suzuki told reporters Wednesday of being named captain. “I’m really excited for it. I want to thank (head coach Claude Julien) and management for having faith in me and giving me this opportunity.”

The Canadiens also announced Wednesday that Jesperi Kotkaniemi will serve as an alternate captain. The 20-year-old Finn has eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points in 47 games this season. He was the team’s third-overall pick in 2018.

Suzuki is just the third player of Japanese descent to be named captain of an NHL team, joining Edmonton’s Yohann Auvitu and San Jose’s Logan Couture. He is also the youngest captain in Canadiens history, surpassing Henri Richard (24 years old) and Saku Koivu (25 years old).

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