Suzuki on his Draft: 'It still gives me chills'

MONTREAL - The 2017 NHL Draft will always be among Nick Suzuki's favorite career highlights.

Four years removed from the experience, the Canadiens' center can't help but smile when he reflects on hearing his name called by then Vegas Golden Knights general manager, George McPhee, at the United Center in Chicago.
Selected 13th overall, Suzuki was the second pick in the history of the Golden Knights.
"It still gives me chills. You work so hard for all of this to happen. To have gone in the first round is a huge honor, and to have been picked pretty high is really cool for me," said Suzuki, while rewatching the unique moment for HabsTV. "It was a dream come true."

Suzuki was fortunate to be surrounded by his biggest supporters, including his parents, Rob and Amanda, his younger brother, Ryan, and his head coach with the OHL's Owen Sound Attack, Ryan McGill, who shortly thereafter became an assistant with Vegas.
Admittedly, the events immediately following the announcement are a bit of a blur.
"I don't even remember walking to the stage or shaking Gary Bettman's hand. I just kind of blacked out," said Suzuki. "All I remember is talking to George McPhee when I shook his hand. I knew he really liked me and the franchise liked me. It's just a cool feeling."
Six weeks shy of his 18th birthday, Suzuki quickly realized the magnitude of his accomplishment while posing for a customary photo with the Golden Knights' brass.
The London, ON native was awestruck sporting the colors of the NHL's newest franchise at the time.
"I remember just looking out on the stage and there's a ton of cameras. It's all just flashing lights. You're just trying to look in the middle," remembered Suzuki. "You're not really thinking of anything else. But, all the flashing lights were pretty cool to look at."
The bright lights of the NHL never intimidated Suzuki once he turned pro, however.
The former OHL champion cracked the 40-point plateau in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns with Montreal, and he most recently led the team in postseason goals (7), assists (9) and points (16) during a memorable run to the Stanley Cup Final.

So, how does Suzuki stack up production-wise against the rest of his Draft class?
The 2020 All-Rookie Team member ranks sixth in scoring with 82 points (28 goals, 54 assists) in 127 regular season games, behind only Elias Pettersson (153 points), Nico Hischier (146 points), Miro Heiskanen (95 points), Cale Makar (94 points) and Robert Thomas (87 points).
As for Suzuki's future, it's safe to say the sky's the limit.
Just ask veteran pivot Eric Staal, who sung the 21-year-old's praises during the Canadiens' end-of-season media availability.
"Nick's a tremendous player. He grew a ton over the end of the year, and especially in this playoff run. The biggest thing for me was watching how he's prepared, how he shows up, and his day-to-day habits. That's huge. In order to be successful and have a long career, you need to put in the work to make sure that you're prepared every single day, and he does that," emphasized Staal. "It showed with his play throughout the playoff run and the season. There are bright days ahead for Nick. It was a treat to get to know him. He's a good kid. He's got a good head on his shoulders. I'm excited to watch him continue to develop and grow as he moves on in his career."