Brett Sutter announced his retirement from hockey on Monday, July 15 after a 17 year professional playing career. Sutter also announced he will remain with the Calgary Wranglers, his last professional team, as their newest assistant coach.
Sutter, a 37-year-old Viking native, was drafted by the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2005.
After 254 games of major junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL), including a season as captain of the Red Deer Rebels, Sutter graduated to professional hockey in 2007.
He played his first pro season with the Quad City Flames of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2007. Quad City was the minor league affiliate of Calgary, who held Sutter’s rights after signing him to an entry-level contract.
Sutter made his NHL debut during the 2008-09 season with the Calgary Flames, appearing in four games and scoring his first NHL goal.
The following season he appeared in 10 NHL games for the Flames and 66 games for Calgary’s newest AHL affiliate club the Abbotsford Heat. That season, he was one of Abbotsford’s most important playoff performers, scoring 11 points in 13 playoff games.
In 2010-11, Sutter appeared in just four games for the Flames before being dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes by then-General Manager, and father, Darryl Sutter.
Over the next four-and-a-half seasons, Sutter would appear in 37 games with the Hurricanes and 255 games with their AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers, with whom he served as Captain for three seasons beginning in 2011-12.
On July 1, 2014, Sutter signed with the Minnesota Wild organization where he would continue to split time between the NHL team and their AHL affiliate the Iowa Wild.
On February 29, 2016 Sutter was traded to the Los Angeles Kings organization. There, he was assigned to the team’s AHL club the Ontario (California) Reign. With Ontario, he had his best offensive season in 2018-19 scoring 21 goals and 45 points. He wore the captain’s C for five years with the Reign, becoming the team’s all time leader in games played and top four in all-time goals, assists, and points. In February of 2022, the Reign honoured Sutter by commemorating his milestone 1,000th professional hockey game in a ceremony that included Kings legend and president Luc Robitaille.
In 2022, the Calgary Flames announced they were relocating their AHL franchise from Stockton to Calgary, where they could keep a closer eye on, and have quicker access to, their minor league players and prospects.
That summer, Sutter returned to where it all began, signing a deal with the newly named Calgary Wranglers of the AHL on August 3, 2022, becoming their inaugural captain.
That fall, Sutter, then 35, was one of the top standouts during Calgary Flames pre-season and very nearly made the team out of training camp, becoming one of the final cuts. He went on to enjoy a productive first season with the Wranglers, putting up 14 goals and 29 points.
In December of 2022, Sutter skated in his 1,000th AHL regular season game, becoming just the eighth player in the league’s storied history to do so. In his 1,000th game, he scored a short-handed game winner against who else but the Ontario Reign.
Sutter missed games due to injury during the 2023-24 season with the Wranglers, but still managed to appear in 46 regular season contests, while suiting up for his final six games in the post-season this past spring.
With his retirement, Sutter ends his career fourth all time in regular season games played in AHL history.
The move into coaching follows in the footsteps of several of his uncles and specifically his father, Darryl, who is the 10th winningest coach in NHL history, including two Stanley Cups and a Jack Adams trophy.
Brad Pascall, Wranglers General Manager and Calgary Flames Assistant General Manager, commented publicly on Monday; “We look forward to Brett’s continued positive impact on our young players. We view it as a perfect fit.”
On Tuesday, Sutter posted on X (formerly Twitter) the following statement; “Nothing fancy, just like my game. Thanks to my beautiful family for the endless support.
“Every coach and staff member along the way. Incredible fans on every stop. The best friends in the world. Lastly, and what I’ll miss the most, my teammates.”
A born leader on and off the ice, Sutter founded and still organizes the famous Brettzky’s Hockey Challenge in Viking every year.
The tournament, first held in 2015, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities and sports groups and brings unforgettable and exciting summer action to the Carena every August.
Brett and wife Erin have three children; Olivia, Charlotte, and Bo.
Eric Anderson
Publisher
