Canadiens centre Nick Suzuki has been named to the NHL All-Rookie team for the 2019-20 season.
Suzuki, who turned 21 last month, registered 41 points (13 goals and 28 assists) in 71 games with the Canadiens last season. The 5-foot-11, 201-pounder built on that success in his first Stanley Cup playoffs, tying for first on the team in points with four goals and three assists. He also posted a plus-3 differential in 10 playoff contests.
During his excellent rookie season, he set a personal-best with a five-game point streak (Dec. 19 to 31), posting 1G, 7A, 8P in that span. Suzuki also earned the Molson Cup in February.
He is the first Canadien to be named to the All-Rookie team since Brendan Gallagher in 2013 and the seventh Canadiens forward to make the list since it was introduced in 1982-83. The others were Mats Naslund (1982-83), Kjell Dahlin (1985-86), Gilbert Dionne (1991-92), Oleg Petrov (1993-94) and Michael Ryder (2003-04).
Suzuki was selected at forward along with Dominik Kubalik of the Chicago Blackhawks and Victor Olofsson of the Buffalo Sabres. Kubalik, who was one of the three finalists for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, was the top point-getter among forwards in the voting conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association with 169, followed by Olofsson (163) and Suzuki (134). Denis Gurianov of the Dallas Stars was a distant fourth with 29 points.
The other Calder Trophy finalists, winner Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, were named to the All-Rookie team on defence while Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets was selected at goaltender.
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