Former Hab Mathieu Perreault Reveals His Pick For Team Captain

The Montreal Canadiens captaincy remains a mystery for the time being, but, according to former Hab, Mathieu Perreault, the decision is evident.

On a recent segment of BPM Sports, Perreault, who just recently announced his retirement from hockey, was asked to talk about his time with the Montreal Canadiens and the players in the dressing room. When the question of captaincy was brought up to him, Perreault didn’t hesitate at all to throw himself on the Nick Suzuki bandwagon for the role of captain moving forward.

“You can give Nick the C right now; he’s ready,” said Perreault of his former teammates. “He can be helped along by Joel (Edmundson). It’ll be good for the transition to give it to him now so he can follow in the footsteps of some of the guys in the room. I personally really liked Nick and I  think he’d be ready for it.”

It speaks volumes coming from a veteran like Perreault, who has seen some very inspiring leaders during his time in the NHL, that he didn’t hesitate to suggest Suzuki was ready for the role. He joins a growing number of hockey personalities and players around the Canadiens that believe Suzuki is the best candidate for the job in the present and long-term; as he is one of the poster boys of this new youth movement.

Suzuki Feels Ready

On the most recent episode of the Raw Knuckles Podcast, Knuckles pointed out a recent interview with Max Pacioretty, where the former Canadiens captain spoke at length about the pressure he felt on a daily basis as captain of the club. Nilan explained that Pacioretty felt a pressure to perform from all angles that sometimes felt overwhelming, and then asked Nick Suzuki how he would handle that kind of situation if he were captain.

“I think the fans expect a lot from the team. It’s been a winning franchise for such a long time and that’s what they expect and that’s what the players want to win games. I think everyone on the team has pressure to do well, but obviously, some more than others. I’ve always been a guy that puts pressure on himself. I know when I’m not playing well,  I don’t let the media or outside noise affect how I’m thinking about my game. As a player, you have to self-motivate, know where your game’s at, know how you’re playing and don’t let anything outside affect you. That’s pretty much all you can control.”

That’s likely the time of mindset and attitude that won Perreault’s favour during his time in Montreal, as the 23-year-old centre continues to show a maturity far beyond his years. It remains to be seen how the decision will be taken, whether management or the players make the final call, but it does seem like a question of “when”, rather than “if”.

Mathieu Perreault était de passage au micro de @JiCLajoie ce matin, et il a offert son support à Nick Suzuki pour le titre de capitaine. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/EJrFDNHzpP

— BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) September 9, 2022

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