Montreal Canadiens Get Consolation Prizes In A Season Worth Celebrating

In hindsight, maybe the Montreal Canadiens were justified in partying it up a day after getting embarrassed in the conference final.

This season might not have ended with a Stanley Cup parade. But it was definitely worth celebrating - even if some fans rolled their eyes and questioned the team's leadership after Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and other Habs were seen shot-gunning beers and singing along with country singer Luke Combs at a concert last week.

It turns out, Suzuki and Caufield had reason to give cheers to one another.

Pair Of Canadiens Stars Win Individual Trophies

It was a good season for Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield and they both topped it off with a trophy win.

Suzuki finished sixth in league scoring with 101 points. He took the sixth-most faceoffs, and his plus-37 goal-differential was among the top 10 in the league. His all-around game secured Suzuki a spot on Canada's Olympic team, where coach Jon Cooper called him a "swiss army knife" and said, "That kid can play anywhere. He can play goal if we asked him to."

Indeed, Suzuki had the kind of season for Montreal that usually gets your name on MVP awards.

You could say the same of Caufield, who became the first Habs player in 36 years to reach the 50-goal mark.

Caufield actually finished with 51 goals, which was the second-most in the league. Equally impressive was that not a single one was scored on an empty net. He did have 12 game-winners - including five in overtime, earning him the nickname of Mr. Saturday Night.

"Two great people, unbelievable hockey players that get recognized what kind of impact they have in the league, so it's special," Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis told NHL.com. " 'Suzi' is a little bit older, but he's been a great role model for Cole and took him under his wing. They shared so many things, but I think to share this experience, this day, I think it's something they'll remember.

"Our focus here has been so much about the team that I don't think Cole and Suzi wouldn't want it any other way. As much as they are the recipient, they know that it's also probably a team award because it takes more than one guy to go get these trophies."

'It Reminds Me Of Being 12 In 1993': Habs Fans Are Showing Their Passion By Getting Tattoos

The Montreal Canadiens are trying to be Canada's first NHL team to win the Stanley Cup since 1993. Habs fans are lining up to get a free logo amid the excitement.

They say you cannot win a championship without a No. 1 goalie, No. 1 defenseman or a No. 1 center.

Well, the Canadiens have all three - plus a trio of elite wingers (and maybe even another No. 1 goalie) that are just barely scratching the surface of their prime.

Demidov is 20. Hutson is 22. Dobes is 25. Backup Jacob Fowler is 21. Caufield is 25. And Suzuki, who has played seven seasons in Montreal, is the veteran at 26.

This is an impossibly young team. And while next season, there will be Florida, Buffalo, Tampa Bay and perhaps Ottawa and Toronto to contend with, it looks like Montreal could be the team to beat in the Atlantic Division for many years to come.

And as we saw at the Luke Combs' concert, Suzuki and Caufield will be the ones leading the "Ole! Ole! Ole!" chants.

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 3:52 PM.