MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was selected as the team’s nominee for the 2024-25 King Clancy Memorial Trophy on Tuesday.
The award is presented to the NHL player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community. Suzuki is one of 32 nominees selected League-wide by their respective NHL teams.
Among Suzuki’s initiatives this year, the London, ON native has committed to supporting the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation by acquiring, for a second season in a row, a suite at the Bell Centre specifically tailored to allow hundreds of youths in need to attend Canadiens home games. Through the Captain’s Circle program, nearly 400 young individuals living with an illness, special needs, or who have recently experienced the loss of a parent or loved one, had the opportunity to enjoy a unique experience during the 2024-25 season, helping them momentarily escape their daily challenges for the span of a hockey game.
Suzuki and his fiancée Caitlin Fitzgerald also lent their support to the Foundation by serving as co-chairs of the second edition of the Canadiens Casino Night, a fundraising event initiated by the couple the previous year. Held in collaboration with Air Canada and Loto-Québec, the event took place on February 20, 2025, at the Casino de Montréal and raised $270,026 to support the Foundation’s efforts to promote physical activity among underprivileged youth.
Since June 2022, Suzuki has served as the ambassador for the Asista Foundation, helping to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and promote the organization’s dual mission throughout the province. In addition to assisting children and adults struggling with mental health issues by providing them with service dogs, the Asista Foundation gives a second chance at life to dogs from shelters or rescues, who are then trained to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries they are matched with. The second edition of Nick Suzuki's Heroes Golf Tournament, held in August 2024, raised $120,500 in support of the Asista Foundation and its facility service dog program. In February 2025, the Suzuki-Fitzgerald household welcomed Ruby, a dog rescued from the SPCA who is currently in training to become a mobile facility service dog with the Asista Foundation. Once her training is complete, Ruby will be tasked with helping youth and adults navigate mental health challenges by providing calm, comfort and smiles.
The winner of the 2024-25 King Clancy Memorial Trophy will be announced later this summer, chosen by a selection committee consisting of Commissioner Gary Bettman, along with former recipients of both the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the now defunct NHL Foundation Player Award. The nominees’ inspiration, involvement, and impact to positively benefit their community, will serve as criteria in determining this year's winner. The winner will also receive a $25,000 donation from the NHL to benefit a charity, or the charities, of his choice.
Former captain Saku Koivu was the last Canadiens player to claim the award in 2007 after beating non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and raising funds to purchase the first PET/CT scanner in Montreal through his foundation.
