Strong start to the year for Suzuki

MONTREAL - Canadiens prospect Nick Suzuki has been racking up the points all season in the OHL, and now he'll be the League's captain at the CIBC Canada/Russia Series.

Suzuki, who already captains the Owen Sound Attack, will share the role at the annual Junior tournament with Oshawa Generals forward Jack Studnicka.
"It's obviously a huge honor for me to be named one of the captains of Team OHL," admitted the Habs prospect who joined the Canadiens fold in a trade from Vegas on September 10. "A lot of other guys who captain their respective OHL teams will be on the squad, so it's a really cool honor for me to have been selected among them."

The first game of the tournament which pits teams representing the QMJHL, OHL, and WHL against a select group of Russian players will take place on Thursday at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia. The second game will be played on Monday, Nov. 12 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa.
Same approach
Suzuki has racked up 25 points -- including 13 goals -- in 16 games this season, placing him 10th among OHL point-getters.
The London, ON born center has likewise fired the third-most shots on goal League-wide, having tested opposing goaltenders 83 times to date, with an impressive 15.67% shooting percentage.
With numbers like those, Suzuki has little reason to change his approach.
"I don't think I'm shooting more than in previous seasons," offered Suzuki. "I just think I'm making better decisions when it comes to taking a shot or making a pass. I'm not afraid to shoot if I have a good look at goal."

Strong contributions
The former 13th overall pick from the 2017 NHL Draft has been on the ice for 36.76% of Owen Sound's goals this season.
He's also earning an average of 1.56 points per game -- the same clip he finished the 2017-18 campaign with -- proof of his consistence.
Also worth noting is that the 19-year-old has already scored four power play goals this season after potting just seven in 64 games a year ago -- a turnaround he credits his linemates for.
"Our line and our power play are creating huge scoring chances for us," added Suzuki, who is one goal shy of the four game winners he scored in 2017-18. "We've got a good group of guys this season."

Happy for the Habs
Speaking of hot starts, with the Habs taking 18 points from their first 15 games, Suzuki is pleased with how the big club has come out of the gates.
"I think they're surprising a lot of people since the start of the season. They're playing with speed and it's been fun to watch."