May 12, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki (14) plays the puck and teammate forward Cole Caufield (13) enters the Buffalo Sabres zone during the first period in game four of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
May 12, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki (14) plays the puck and teammate forward Cole Caufield (13) enters the Buffalo Sabres zone during the first period in game four of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield received the Frank J. Selke Trophy and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, respectively, for their undeniable impact during the 2025-26 season, but not without a twist.
The NHL officials had them on board to surprise each other in the Montreal Canadiens locker room with a special trophy presentation last month at Bell Centre. It happened on May 11, a day after the Canadiens took a 2-1 lead in the East second round against the Buffalo Sabres.
In a video post on their official X account, the NHL shared how the surprise moment went down, along with Suzuki and Caufield’s thoughts.
“Nick Suzuki surprised Cole Caufield with the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy before Caufield surprised Suzuki with the Frank J. Selke Trophy,” they captioned the post on X.
Notably, when Suzuki broke the news to Caulfield about winning the Lady Byng Memorial, it left him completely astounded.
“I didn’t expect this,” said Caufield to his Canadien teammates while holding up the big trophy. “This doesn't happen without you guys, everybody in this room.”
The American winger registered 88 points (51G / 37A) in 81 games, making the top 15 highest scorers, but his sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct brought him most plaudits. He took a total of just seven minor penalties and reduced the penalty minutes to 14 only, with more than 18 minutes per game on the ice.
“I kind of got tricked into not knowing what was going on today," Caufield said about the surprise moment. “It's an individual award that comes with all the team aspects of things, and all your great teammates and coaches and everything that comes along with it.”
What was Nick Suzuki’s reaction to Cole Caufield surprising him in return?
After giving an acceptance speech for winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, Cole Caufield came back to the stage to surprise Nick Suzuki.
When Caufield announced Suzuki as the winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the moment left a beaming smile on the face of the Montreal Canadiens captain and center.
“I thought I was coming in this morning just to our meeting and present Cole with the Lady Byng,” said Suzuki about his thoughts on it. “I didn't expect that at all, after. You guys definitely tricked both of us. Pretty surreal right now, really honored to be selected for the award.”
During the 2025-26 season, in which he led Montreal to the East Final, Suzuki excelled in his all-around play. He scored 101 points (29G / 72A) in 82 games, including a plus-minus of (+37), his best number since the first season with the Canadiens in 2019-20.
The Canadian also played for more than 20 minutes per game, winning 50.4 per cent of the 1,449 face-offs to find himself in sixth place in this aspect of play.
Will Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield continue their rich run of consistency in the next NHL season? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Written by
Arjun Sharma
Edited by
Ankita Yadav