St. Louis Blues legend Chris Pronger (formerly of the Montreal Canadiens organization) is fed up with the ongoing debate surrounding Nick Suzuki’s defensive play, and he finally spoke his mind. The former Norris Trophy winner expressed frustration on a sports radio show, stating that Suzuki’s defensive awareness needs significant improvement, particularly in high-pressure playoff situations.

Pronger pointed to multiple instances this season where Suzuki appeared caught out of position, allowing opposing forwards to gain momentum in the offensive zone. “You can’t win championships playing defense the way he does,” Pronger remarked, citing Suzuki’s occasional lapses in gap control and poor reads on forechecking pressure.

While acknowledging Suzuki’s offensive talent and vision, Pronger emphasized that elite defense requires more than just instincts—it demands discipline. Canadiens fans were divided by the comments, with some agreeing that Suzuki must tighten up defensively, while others felt Pronger was being overly critical.

The debate adds fuel to the ongoing discussion about Suzuki’s legacy, as he continues to be a focal point of Montreal’s lineup but faces scrutiny regarding his ability to anchor the defense in critical moments.

We witnessed a significant moment during the press conference of Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis last night.

St-Louis took a long pause, practically stopping everything, to talk about his captain.

Like many of us, Martin seems truly fed up with the lack of respect toward Nick Suzuki coming from all corners of the National Hockey League.

Whether it’s the fact that he was completely ignored by Team Canada for the 4 Nations Faceoff (they didn’t even call him), the fact that several NHL “experts” continue to claim that Suzuki is not a first-line center, or anything else, it’s clear that the captain of the Montreal Canadiens is not being properly recognized in the league right now.

It seems that all of this led to Martin St-Louis’ passionate speech about Suzuki during last night’s press conference.

Martin St-Louis is fed up with the lack of respect for Nick Suzuki

Yes, Suzuki is a first-line center, and an excellent one too!

Here’s an excerpt from MSL’s bold statement about Suzuki:

“I think he (Nick Suzuki) is doing everything.

He’s playing big minutes, tough matchups. He’s been very good offensively but he’s been very responsible defensively too.

I think he’s just been showing the way. I think guys are following.

He’s played a huge hand why we are where we are.”

– Canadiens head coach Marty St-Louis

 

This happened during the following press conferences:

 

I couldn’t agree more with St-Louis!

It’s incredible to see how Suzuki literally does EVERYTHING the right way. We are truly lucky to have him in Montreal, and too bad for those who still don’t give him the respect he deserves.

Suzuki currently has 69 points (20 goals) in 66 games and holds a +12 rating.