Days after Canadiens' playoff exit, Nick Suzuki reportedly makes major decision regarding playing for Team Canada at World Championship

Nick Suzuki and the Montreal Canadiens were eliminated in the first round of the 2024-25 NHL playoffs by the Washington Capitals in five games. Montreal closed out the regular season with a 40-31-11 record and had got the final wild card spot in the East to punch their ticket to the playoffs.

After their early playoff exit, captain Suzuki received an invitation to play for Team Canada at the upcoming 2025 IIHF World Championship.

Suzuki received an invitation to join Team Canada alongside teammate Mike Matheson and big names like Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Marc-Andre Fleury. Early expectations were that he will accept and suit up for Canada in their push for gold.

However, on Thursday evening, hockey insider Marc Antoine Godin reported that Suzuki won't be joining Team Canada. According to the report:

"Nick Suzuki is still nursing injuries and won't be joining Team Canada at the World Championship," Godin said.

During his postseason exit interview, Nick Suzuki revealed dealing with undisclosed injuries and would need medical clearance before joining Team Canada.

“I just gotta get cleared by the team, was pretty banged up down the stretch and into the playoffs. We’ll see what happens,” Suzuki said about playing for Team Canada last month.

Despite Canada unveiling a 21-man roster with four open spots remaining, it appears Suzuki won't fill up one of those vacancies.

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Nick Suzuki wants to play at the best-on-best tournament at 2026 Winter Olympics

Nick Suzuki has his sights set on representing Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The forward believes playing in the best-on-best Olympic tournament will fulfill a childhood dream.

"How big does it loom? It's pretty big," Suzuki said about the opportunity. "Been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to play in the Olympics. So, I'll try to do everything I can."

While his participation in the 2026 World Championship is uncertain, Suzuki believes his strong play this season has shown Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong that he's ready for the Olympic spotlight.

“I’ve shown what I can do as a player, and really kind of took my game to a different level coming down the stretch into the playoffs. If I have a good start next year, I feel like I can put my name in the hat,” Suzuki said.

Suzuki had 59 assists and 89 points in 82 regular games. In the playoffs, he added two goals in five games.