The tension was palpable every time Nick Cousins stepped onto the ice in Montreal this season. The Ottawa Senators forward knew exactly what was coming—the boos, the hostility, the relentless targeting. Now, for the first time, he's breaking his silence about being the Montreal Canadiens' public enemy number one.
The Hit That Changed Everything
It all traces back to November 2023 when Cousins delivered a controversial hit on Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki. The collision left Suzuki with a concussion and turned Cousins into the villain of Bell Centre. "I knew I had a target on my back," Cousins revealed in an exclusive interview. "When you play in Montreal, you hear the boos every time you touch the puck."
The Senators forward understood the consequences of his actions immediately. Hockey culture dictates that big hits—especially those involving star players—don't go unanswered. Montreal made sure Cousins paid the price throughout the season.
A Season Under the Microscope
Every subsequent game against the Canadiens became a personal trial for Cousins. The hostility wasn't just fan-driven—it was institutional. "They were trying to get me to fight," Cousins explained. "They put Jacob Lucchini in the lineup, probably to fight me."
The targeting reached its peak when Canadiens forward Rem Pitlick attempted to engage Cousins, leading to offsetting minors. The message was clear: Montreal hadn't forgotten, and they weren't going to let Cousins forget either.
The Unspoken Code of Hockey Justice
What makes Cousins' situation particularly compelling is his own history with seeking retribution. He was on the other side earlier this season when Toronto's Morgan Rielly cross-checked Senators forward Ridly Greig for an empty-net slapshot. Cousins had defended the "code" then, but now found himself at the center of it.
"It's part of the game," Cousins acknowledged, showing remarkable understanding of the double standard. "If the same thing happened to one of our key players, we'd probably do the same thing."
Moving Forward With Lessons Learned
Despite the targeting and hostility, Cousins maintains respect for the process and the unwritten rules that govern hockey. His experience serves as a case study in how the NHL handles justice and retribution.
As the season progresses, Cousins knows the target might shrink but will never completely disappear. In the heated rivalries of Canadian hockey, memories are long, and the code is eternal.
The takeaway? In the NHL, some hits are more than just hits—they're moments that define seasons, create villains, and test the very fabric of hockey's unwritten rules.
