Brian Sutter
Sutter with the St. Louis Blues in 1979
Born (1956-10-07) October 7, 1956 (age 67)
Viking, Alberta, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for St. Louis Blues
NHL Draft 20th overall, 1976
St. Louis Blues
WHA Draft 36th overall, 1976
Edmonton Oilers
Playing career 1976–1988

Brian Louis Allen Sutter (born October 7, 1956) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward and former head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). Brian is the second oldest of the famous Sutter brothers and the oldest of the six that played in the NHL. He is also the only one to have his number retired by an NHL team.

Career

Player

Sutter was drafted by the St. Louis Blues during the 2nd round (20th overall) in the 1976 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the Blues until 1988, when a nagging back injury forced him into retirement. In 12 years with the Blues, he played in three NHL All-Star Games – 1982, 1983, and 1985. For the last nine years of his career, he was the Blues' captain. His jersey, #11, was retired by the St. Louis Blues on December 30, 1988.

Sutter awaiting a face-off with Mike Milbury (pictured left) and Charlie Simmer (pictured center) of the Boston Bruins at the Boston Garden on March 21, 1985.

Coaching

Immediately after retiring, he was named the Blues' head coach (1988–1992). In 1991, he won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach. All told, he spent the first 16 years of his adult life at ice level with the Blues.

Sutter subsequently held head coaching positions with the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, and Chicago Blackhawks (2001–2004). On June 21, 2005, the Blackhawks hired Dale Tallon as their new general manager; Tallon and the rebuilding Blackhawks decided not to renew Sutter's contract.

During the 2006–07 season, Sutter coached the Bentley Generals of the Chinook Hockey League, leading the team to its first berth in the Allan Cup, Canada's senior men's hockey championship.

Sutter was named the head coach of the Western Hockey League's Red Deer Rebels on July 12, 2007, replacing his younger brother Brent, who left the Rebels to become the head coach of the NHL's New Jersey Devils. On March 24, 2008, the Rebels announced that Brian Sutter had resigned as head coach of the team, citing personal reasons.[1]

Sutter returned as head coach of the Generals for the 2008–09 season, leading them to its first Allan Cup title in 2009.[2] In August 2012, Sutter left the Generals to become the new head coach of the Innisfail Eagles, also of the Chinook Hockey League.[3]

Personal life

Sutter and his wife Judy have two children, a son Shaun and a daughter, Abigail.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1972–73 Red Deer Rustlers AJHL 51 27 40 67 54 — — — — —
1973–74 Red Deer Rustlers AJHL 59 42 54 96 139 — — — — —
1974–75 Lethbridge Broncos WCHL 53 34 47 81 134 6 0 1 1 39
1975–76 Lethbridge Broncos WCHL 72 36 56 92 233 7 3 4 7 45
1976–77 Kansas City Blues CHL 38 15 23 38 47 — — — — —
1976–77 St. Louis Blues NHL 35 4 10 14 82 4 0 1 1 14
1977–78 St. Louis Blues NHL 79 9 13 22 123 — — — — —
1978–79 St. Louis Blues NHL 77 41 39 80 165 — — — — —
1979–80 St. Louis Blues NHL 71 23 35 58 156 3 0 0 0 4
1980–81 St. Louis Blues NHL 78 35 34 69 232 11 6 3 9 77
1981–82 St. Louis Blues NHL 74 39 36 75 239 10 8 6 14 49
1982–83 St. Louis Blues NHL 79 46 30 76 254 4 2 1 3 10
1983–84 St. Louis Blues NHL 76 32 51 83 162 11 1 5 6 22
1984–85 St. Louis Blues NHL 77 37 37 74 121 3 2 1 3 2
1985–86 St. Louis Blues NHL 44 19 23 42 87 9 1 2 3 22
1986–87 St. Louis Blues NHL 14 3 3 6 18 — — — — —
1987–88 St. Louis Blues NHL 76 15 22 37 147 10 0 3 3 49
NHL totals 779 303 333 636 1,786 65 21 21 42 249

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1975 Canada WJC 5 1 4 5 2

Coaching statistics

Team Year Regular season Post-season
G W L T OTL Pts Division rank Result
STL 1988–89 80 33 35 12 - 78 2nd in Norris Won in first round (4-1 vs. MIN)
Lost in second round (1-4 vs. CHI)
STL 1989–90 80 37 34 9 - 83 2nd in Norris Won in first round (4-1 vs. TOR)
Lost in second round (3-4 vs. CHI)
STL 1990–91 80 47 22 11 - 105 2nd in Norris Won in first round (4-3 vs. DET)
Lost in second round (2-4 vs. MIN)
STL 1991–92 80 36 33 11 - 83 3rd in Norris Lost in first round (2-4 vs. CHI)
BOS 1992–93 84 51 26 7 - 109 1st in Adams Lost in first round (0-4 vs. BUF)
BOS 1993–94 84 42 29 13 - 97 2nd in Adams Won in first round (4-3 vs. MTL)
Lost in second round (2-4 vs. NJ)
BOS 1994–95 48 27 18 3 - 57 3rd in Adams Lost in first round (1-4 vs. NJ)
CGY 1997–98 82 26 41 15 - 67 5th in Pacific Missed playoffs
CGY 1998–99 82 30 40 12 - 72 3rd in Northwest Missed playoffs
CGY 1999–2000 82 31 36 10 5 77 4th in Northwest Missed playoffs
CHI 2001–02 82 41 27 13 1 96 3rd in Central Lost in first round (1-4 vs. STL)
CHI 2002–03 82 30 33 13 6 79 3rd in Central Missed playoffs
CHI 2003–04 82 20 43 11 8 59 5th in Central Missed playoffs
Total 1,028 451 417 140 20 1,062 1 Division Title 28-40 (.411)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Brian Sutter resigns as junior coach". March 24, 2008. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  2. ^ "Another Sutter in Calgary?". April 6, 2009. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2009.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Innisfail Eagles net Brian Sutter as coach". Innisfail Province. August 21, 2013. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.

External links

Preceded byBarry Gibbs St. Louis Blues captain 1979–88 Succeeded byBernie Federko Preceded byBob Murdoch Jack Adams Award winners 1991 Succeeded byPat Quinn Preceded byJacques Martin Head coach of the St. Louis Blues 1988–92 Succeeded byBob Plager Preceded byRick Bowness Head coach of the Boston Bruins 1992–95 Succeeded bySteve Kasper Preceded byPierre Page Head coach of the Calgary Flames 1997–2000 Succeeded byDon Hay Preceded byAlpo Suhonen Head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks 2001–04 Succeeded byTrent Yawney
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