Brent Sutter
Two-time Stanley Cup winner and Islanders Hall of Famer.
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Brent Colin Sutter was a Canadian professional hockey player who later became an NHL head coach for the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames. The New York Islanders picked him 17th overall in the 1980 draft, and he went on to play more than 1,000 games over 18 seasons with the Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks. Known as one of the top face-off men of his era, Sutter won two Stanley Cups with the Islanders and was named an All-Star. He also played for Canada multiple times, winning the Canada Cup on three occasions.
Coaching career
After retiring as a player in 1998, Sutter bought the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League, where he served as head coach and general manager for eight seasons, leading the team to a Memorial Cup victory in 2001. He coached Canada’s junior team to gold medals at the 2005 and 2006 World Junior Championships and won the 2007 Super Series. Over three years as national junior coach, he posted a record of 19 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie. He became head coach of the New Jersey Devils in 2007, guiding them to one division title in two seasons before leaving to take the same role with the Calgary Flames, working for his brother Darryl, who was then the Flames’ general manager.
Sutter family in hockey
Sutter is part of the famous Sutter family. He was one of six brothers—Brian, Darryl, Duane, Ron, and Rich—who all played in the NHL.
Brent and Duane were teammates on the Islanders when they won the Stanley Cup in 1982 and 1983. While coaching the Red Deer Rebels, Brent coached his son Brandon and his nephew Brett, both of whom later played in the NHL. His daughter Brooke played volleyball for Red Deer College and was named a first-team conference all-star in 2013.
Playing career
Sutter was inducted into the New York Islanders Hall of Fame on January 18, 2025.
Lore & Background
Sutter's tenure with the Islanders lasted between 1981 and 1991, with much early success. He had the fortune of being on a team that entered the Stanley Cup Final in his first three seasons, winning in his first two. Sutter was named captain of the Islanders in 1987, when Denis Potvin relinquished the role. In 1991, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks with Brad Lauer for Adam Creighton and Steve Thomas.
He spent the last seven years of his NHL career in Chicago, where for part of his time he was coached by his older brother Darryl. Brent was the last active player in the NHL that had played with the Islanders during their early 1980s dynasty, as well as the last member of the team still with the Islanders when he was traded to the Blackhawks in 1991. In 1991–92, he helped lead the Hawks to a Stanley Cup Final appearance, thus playing in four Cup finals in his career.
Reader's Guide
After retiring as a player in 1998, Sutter bought the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League and served as the team's head coach and general manager for eight seasons, winning the Memorial Cup in 2001. He coached the Canadian junior team to gold medals at the 2005 and 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships, as well as winning the 2007 Super Series. Sutter compiled a 19–0–1 record in three years as the national junior team coach.
He joined the New Jersey Devils as their head coach in 2007, leading them to one division title in two seasons before leaving New Jersey to take on the same position in Calgary, working for brother Darryl, who was at the time the Flames' general manager. This decision sparked controversy and anger from many Devils fans, players, and front office officials. Sutter was not offered a new contract by the Calgary Flames on April 12, 2012. In November 2012, he again took the reins of the Red Deer Rebels, where he also serves as General Manager.
He is a member of the famous Sutter family; six brothers played in the NHL. Brent and Duane played together for the Islanders when the team won the Stanley Cup in 1982 and 1983. Sutter was inducted into the New York Islanders Hall of Fame on January 18, 2025.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Gold 1984 Canada Cup
- Gold 1987 Canada Cup
- Gold 1991 Canada Cup
- Bronze 1986 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1977–78 | Red Deer Rustlers | AJHL | 60 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Red Deer Rustlers | AJHL | 60 | 42 | 42 | 84 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | Red Deer Rustlers | AJHL | 59 | 70 | 101 | 171 | 131 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 16 |
| 1979–80 | Lethbridge Broncos | WHL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | Lethbridge Broncos | WHL | 68 | 54 | 54 | 108 | 116 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 51 |
| 1980–81 | New York Islanders | NHL | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Lethbridge Broncos | WHL | 34 | 46 | 34 | 80 | 162 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | New York Islanders | NHL | 43 | 21 | 22 | 43 | 114 | 19 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 36 |
| 1982–83 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 128 | 20 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 26 |
| 1983–84 | New York Islanders | NHL | 69 | 34 | 15 | 49 | 69 | 20 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 18 |
| 1984–85 | New York Islanders | NHL | 72 | 42 | 60 | 102 | 51 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 |
| 1985–86 | New York Islanders | NHL | 61 | 24 | 31 | 55 | 74 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1986–87 | New York Islanders | NHL | 69 | 27 | 36 | 63 | 73 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1987–88 | New York Islanders | NHL | 70 | 29 | 31 | 60 | 55 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 18 |
| 1988–89 | New York Islanders | NHL | 77 | 29 | 34 | 63 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | New York Islanders | NHL | 67 | 33 | 35 | 68 | 65 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 1990–91 | New York Islanders | NHL | 75 | 21 | 32 | 53 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | New York Islanders | NHL | 8 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 61 | 18 | 32 | 50 | 30 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 22 |
| 1992–93 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 65 | 20 | 34 | 54 | 67 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 1993–94 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 73 | 9 | 29 | 38 | 43 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1994–95 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 47 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 51 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1995–96 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 80 | 13 | 27 | 40 | 56 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 1996–97 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 39 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1997–98 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 52 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | 1,111 | 363 | 466 | 829 | 1,054 | 144 | 30 | 44 | 74 | 164 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Canada | CC | Gold | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 1986 | Canada | WC | Bronze | 8 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 8 |
| 1987 | Canada | CC | Gold | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 1991 | Canada | CC | Gold | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Senior totals | 33 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 30 | |||
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Brent Sutter (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Brent Sutter (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
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