Stu Cowan: Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki is enjoying summer in the city

Article content

There was a time when most of the Canadiens players would stay in Montreal during the off-season.

Article content

The Canadiens even had a summer softball team that would tour across Quebec — and beyond — giving fans a chance to meet the players up close.

“The late, great Claude Mouton (the team’s former public-relations director) would organize that team every summer,” recalled former Canadien Chris Nilan, who played 10 seasons in Montreal and was part of the 1986 Stanley Cup team. “We’d have about 10 guys every summer. I remember we went out to B.C. once and went through the Okanagan Valley. We’d have a blast. It was a lot of fun.

“It was different back then,” Nilan added. “There was no free agency (or salary cap) so we stayed together and bonded as a team. Certainly had that family-type atmosphere. It was great for team bonding with guys getting together all summer. It wasn’t like: ‘I’ll see you next year.’ Guys were around all the time.”

Article content

Article content

Nearly all the current Canadiens leave Montreal once the season is over and head to their summer homes. But for the second straight year, captain Nick Suzuki has decided to spend summer in the city.

When I asked Suzuki at the end of the season what his plans were for a second summer in Montreal, he said: “Probably just golf and get a list of restaurants to try. All the festivals and F1 (the Canadian Grand Prix). It was a lot of fun last year. The team does a good job of helping us get to all those events. So I’m excited again.”

On Sunday, Nilan had a chance to golf with Suzuki and teammate Kaiden Guhle at the Royal Montreal club. Nilan lives on Montreal’s West Island and now works as an ambassador for the Canadiens.

Article content

“He’s a young kid who has certainly come into his own,” Nilan said about Suzuki. “It shows leadership being around here all summer to be part of the community, to be part of the fabric of that community. People absolutely love Nick and he’s shown himself to be available. He’s not just picking up at the end of the season and saying: ‘I’ll see you later. I’ll be back in a couple of months.’ I think that says a lot about him as a person, but also as the captain of this team.”

It will be interesting to see moving forward if Suzuki can convince more of his young teammates to spend at least part of the summer in Montreal.

Suzuki was interviewed Monday on TSN 690 Radio and was asked about his decision to spend a second summer in Montreal.

Article content

“Everyone always says that the summer in Montreal is kind of fun and a lot different than what it is during the winter,” he said. “I just wanted to experience that for myself. I love the city here. It was a ton of fun last year and I’m looking forward to another great summer. We definitely have a couple of more guys sticking around, so I’m looking forward to it.

Article content

“I like it a lot,” Suzuki added about meeting fans during the summer. “Everyone’s super respectful. They just want to come say hi and meet you. I love to meet the fans outside of the rink. I’m always willing to chat and take photos and stuff. I think it’s just part of the business. People want to meet you. They get to see you on TV, but to interact with you in person is definitely a different feeling for them.”

Suzuki had some encouraging news for fans who might be worried about Cole Caufield’s contract situation with the possibility of him becoming a restricted free agent this summer after scoring 26 goals in 46 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery.

Article content

“I talk to him all the time, just not about his contract,” Suzuki said about Caufield. “I try to leave him alone. It will get done when it gets done. I’m not too worried about it. I don’t think people have to be worried about it. It’s part of the business and we’ve got a long time before the season starts.”

Suzuki is the only Canadien to play in all 82 games in each of the last two seasons and he led the team in scoring this season with 26-40-66 totals, setting career highs in goals and points. He took a pass on playing for Team Canada at the recent IIHF World Championship, saying he was “banged up a little bit” and could use a rest.

Playing golf and eating at some nice Montreal restaurants seems like a good way to do that. Suzuki said he took about a month off after the season ended, but is back training now for next season.

“I loved being in Montreal during the off-season,” Nilan said. “It’s easy to get refocused to come back into the next year. It’s just a great place to live, too.”

[email protected]

twitter.com/StuCowan1