The Montreal Canadiens will be without captain Nick Suzuki for the next two to four weeks because of an upper-body injury, it was announced Thursday morning.
The star centre blocked a shot with his hand late in Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks. While he remained in the game, he did not speak to the media after the game as he was receiving treatment.
The absence will be the first missed game of his NHL career as Suzuki had played all 546 contests since debuting during the 2019-20 season.
The 27-year-old Suzuki has five goals and 12 points in nine games so far this season.
He had 29 goals and a career-best 101 points last season, adding an additional four goals and 19 points in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Habs recall Beck
The Canadiens announced that they have recalled forward Owen Beck from the Laval Rocket, one day after he was re-assigned to the AHL.
The move came just before announcing Suzuki’s injury.
The forward scored his first goal of the season on Wednesday night in Laval’s 5-1 win against the Syracuse Crunch. He did not record a point in two NHL games this season.
Montreal enters play Thursday 4-3-2 with 10 points in nine games, good for sixth in the Atlantic Division.