Canadiens’ Suzuki, Dach to return from injuries against Mammoth

Some reinforcements are returning for the Montreal Canadiens.

The team announced that captain Nick Suzuki and forward Kirby Dach will be back in the lineup Thursday night, when the Canadiens face off against the Utah Mammoth.

Suzuki has been out of action since Oct. 22, when he was ruled out with an upper-body injury. He was projected to miss 2-4 weeks, meaning the London, Ont. native is on the earlier end of the timeline. In his last game on Oct. 20 against the San Jose Sharks, he blocked a shot with his left hand. Suzuki managed to play for the rest of the game, was put on the shelf, ending his iron man streak, which began when he first stepped into the Habs lineup during the 2019-20 season. Suzuki appeared in 546 straight regular-season games, including all 56 Stanley Cup Playoff contests the Habs have played during his tenure with the organization.

In nine games so far this season, the 27-year-old center has scored five goals and seven assists for 12 points, and third on the team in helpers, tied for third in goals and third in overall scoring.

Dach hasn’t missed that much time, as an illness forced him to miss the past two games, including Montreal’s embarrassing collapse against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night. The 25-year-old had appeared in each of the Habs’ first 13 games of the season, posting a plus/minus of -2 while averaging 10:45 of ice time. Dach is hoping to stay healthy this season, having appeared in just 37 contests during the 2025-26 campaign. The former Chicago Blackhawk has reached 60 games in a regular season just twice in his NHL career.

The Canadiens (9-3-3) are tied for second in the Atlantic Division.