In the world of hockey, clicks are nothing new.
Whether by age, musical affinities, similar backgrounds or family relationships, these small groups form naturally in each team.
But in an organization as young as the Montreal Canadiens, these micro-companies can quickly become a problem if they are not well managed.
And that’s where Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield enter the picture, trying to maintain some semblance of order in this joyful chaos.
On one side, there are the young veterans. Suzuki, the 25-year-old captain, is already 411 games in the NHL.
He embodies consistency, reliability, and the kind of quiet leadership that inspires confidence.
At his side, Cole Caufield, who has just celebrated his 24th birthday, is increasingly establishing himself as an offensive pillar.
With his 243 career games, he shows that he is no longer just an elite scorer, but also a model of maturity.
Well, almost. The boy has learned to juggle his responsibilities and his successes on the ice, but he remains a kid at heart, and it shows in his contagious enthusiasm.
But their task is not easy, as they have to deal with a group of young players who, despite their potential, have not yet understood what it means to be 100% professional.
Juraj Slafkovsky, 20, is an emblematic case. With 156 matches under his belt, he should start to find his feet, but he continues to have a string of questionable performances.
Against the Chicago Blackhawks, he was a real defensive sieve. On the Hawks’ fourth goal, he gave Nick Foligno a boulevard after losing a battle along the boards. And this isn’t the first time this has happened.
Kaidan Guhle, 22, is expected to be a defensive cornerstone, but even he is not without blame.
His penalty at the end of the match against Chicago, when the Canadian was still hoping to come back, was a blatant example of poorly channeled frustration.
Arber Xhekaj, 23, showed that he knows how to fight and what a fight against Pat Maroon! but a fight doesn’t win a match.
Jayden Struble, for his part, proved that he was still far from ready for the big stage, with a grotesque turnaround in the first minutes of the match.
The problem is that these young players don’t seem to understand the importance of every detail, of every moment on the ice.
Yes, it was New Year’s Day. Yes, the holiday travel has probably worn them out.
And yes, Cole Caufield’s birthday party may have left its mark. But that’s no excuse.
Suzuki and Caufield were ready to play. The others? Not really. And that was evident throughout the game against the Blackhawks.
The real issue here is click management. Suzuki and Caufield are doing their best to maintain a unified locker room, but it’s a herculean task.
The young players, grouped into a well-defined clique, do not yet have the maturity to understand the importance of each match, of each moment.
They still live in a sort of bubble, where responsibilities sometimes seem optional.
Meanwhile, more experienced veterans, players like Jake Evans, Christian Dvorak or even Josh Anderson continue to lead by example.
These guys know what it means to be professional. They know that, even after a tough night in Vegas, you have to get up and perform.
But there is a gap between these veterans and the youngsters, a gap that Suzuki and Caufield must bridge.
Let’s take a concrete example: the numerical disadvantage at the start of the match against Chicago.
Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble, after a monumental blunder, left their team numerically inferior at 5 against 3 from the first minutes.
The result? A quick goal from the Blackhawks that set the tone for the rest of the game.
Older veterans respect young people, but there are times when patience reaches its limits.
When a player like Slafkovsky makes a series of turnovers or when a defender like Guhle loses his composure, the silence in the locker room often speaks louder than any words.
No one really dares to say anything, but everyone knows that these mistakes are costly.
This is where Suzuki and Caufield must step in. As leaders, they have the responsibility to get the message across, to shake up their teammates when necessary.
But it is not an easy task. Suzuki, in particular, is known for its measured and considered approach.
He’s not the type to yell or point fingers. Caufield prefers to set an example through his performances.
But is it enough? Maybe not.
The real test for this team will come in the coming weeks. With a long season still ahead of them, the Canadiens will need to find a way to overcome these internal divisions.
Because in the end, a divided locker room is a losing team.
And in Montreal, defeat is never an option.
Clicks, whether healthy or not, need to be managed.
Suzuki and Caufield, you are at the front. Up to you.
Amen!
