Gary Suter
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Gary Lee Suter (born June 24, 1964) is an
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
former professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
who played over 1,000 games in the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) between 1985 and 2002. He was a ninth round selection of the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
, 180th overall, at the
1984 NHL Entry Draft The 1984 NHL Entry Draft was the 22nd NHL Entry Draft. It took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The 1984 Entry Draft is noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower ...
and played with Calgary for nine years. He won the
Calder Memorial Trophy The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving as ...
as the NHL's top rookie in 1986, played in four All-Star Games and was a member of Calgary's
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
championship team in
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
. He was traded to the
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
in 1994, then to the
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
in 1998, with whom he finished his career. Suter represented the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
internationally on numerous occasions. He appeared in two
World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
and two
Canada Cup The Canada Cup (french: Coupe Canada) was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The brainchild of Toronto lawyer Alan Eagleson, the tournament was created to meet demand for a true world ...
tournaments. He was a member of the American team that won the inaugural
World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the Canada Cup, which was held every 3 to 5 years from 1976 to 1991 and was the first international hockey championship to allow nati ...
in
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
and was a two-time Olympian, winning a silver medal in
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
. Suter is an honored member of the
United States Hockey Hall of Fame The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the history of ice hockey in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and ...
, inducted in 2011.


Early life

Suter was born on June 24, 1964, in
Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
. He is the youngest of five children, all of whom were heavily involved in sports. Gary followed his three elder brothers, John,
Bob Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname) ...
and Steve into hockey, while his sister was a
figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
. Their father Marlow was a
senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...
player in the 1950s, and helped found and coach the Madison Capitols minor hockey system that all four boys played with in their youth. Gary idolized his brother Bob, who was a member of the American "
Miracle on Ice The "Miracle on Ice" was an ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. It was played between the hosting United States and the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980, during the medal round of the men's hockey tourna ...
" team that won the gold medal at the
1980 Winter Olympics The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States. Lake Placid was elected ...
. After playing his junior and senior seasons of high school hockey with the
Culver Military Academy Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school located in Culver, Indiana, which is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy (CMA) for boys, Culver Girls Academy (CGA), and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps (CSSC). Culver ...
, Suter joined the
Dubuque Fighting Saints The Dubuque Fighting Saints are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and are based in the city of Dubuque, Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi River at the border intersects of Iowa, Illinois, and W ...
program in the
United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...
(USHL). He appeared in 18 games with the Fighting Saints in the 1981–82 season, scoring 3 goals and 7 points. He was eligible for the
1982 NHL Entry Draft The 1982 NHL Entry Draft was the 20th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1981 ...
, but listed at five feet, nine inches tall by the Central Scouting Bureau, was considered too small for the NHL and went undrafted. Suter established himself as one of the first star players in the USHL's junior era, improving to 39 points in 41 games in 1982–83 and leading Dubuque to the
Clark Cup The United States Hockey League began in 1961 as a semi-professional ice hockey league. Starting with the 1979–80 season, the league became a strictly Amateur league, and began awarding its champion the Clark Cup Trophy. All champions of the USHL ...
championship. The team's captain, he also led Dubuque to a national junior championship. He was again passed over by the NHL in the 1983 Draft, but accepted a full scholarship to play at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...
. Suter was the third member of his family to play defense for the
Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin). They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivisi ...
, following brothers John and Bob. He appeared in 34 games in 1983–84, scoring 22 points. Ian McKenzie, coordinator of scouting for the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
, noticed Suter's play at Wisconsin and that he had added over two inches of height, which Central Scouting had failed to update in its record on him. The Flames picked Suter with their ninth round selection, 180th overall, in the 1984 Draft. Suter, who had been working in a beer factory, was initially disappointed at his selection. He was in his last year of draft eligibility and was hoping to follow other college players who signed lucrative contracts as
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
s after going unselected. Following his sophomore season of 1984–85, in which he recorded 51 points in 39 games for Wisconsin, Suter left Wisconsin to turn professional.


Playing career


Calgary Flames

The departure of Kari Eloranta prior to the
1985–86 NHL season The 1985–86 NHL season was the 69th season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the league's Board of Governors introduce the Presidents' Trophy, which would go to the team with the best overall record in the NHL regular season. The E ...
created an opening on the Flames' defense. Suter excelled in training camp and not only earned a spot on the team, he was quickly recognized by head coach Bob Johnson as the team's best overall defenseman. He scored his first two goals in his second NHL game, a 9–2 victory over the
Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
, and by mid-season was among the NHL's rookie scoring leaders. He was one of two first-year players (along with
Wendel Clark Wendel L. Clark (born October 25, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. His professional career lasted from 1985 until 2000, during which time he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Quebec Nordiques, New York Islanders, Tampa ...
) to play in the 1986 All-Star Game, while his offensive production and ability to play in all situations made him a top contender for the
Calder Memorial Trophy The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving as ...
. Suter finished the season with 18 goals, and his 68 points tied
Al MacInnis Allan MacInnis (born July 11, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames (1981-1994) and St. Louis Blues (1994-2004). A first round selection of ...
for the team lead for scoring among defensemen. He added ten points in ten playoff games, but was knocked out of the post-season in the
Smythe Division The NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honour of Conn Smythe, who was a longtime owner, general manager, and head coach in the league ...
Final against the
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
after suffering stretched knee ligaments following a hit by
Mark Messier Mark John Douglas Messier (; born January 18, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League (NHL). His playing career in the NHL lasted 25 years ( 1979– 2004) with the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rang ...
. Suter watched as the Flames reached, and ultimately lost, the
1986 Stanley Cup Finals The 1986 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1985–86 season, and the culmination of the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Campbell Conference champion Calgary Flames and t ...
to the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
. Following the season, he was named to the All-Rookie Team on defense and was voted the winner of the Calder Trophy. Suter was the third American-born player to win the award, given to the NHL's top rookie. The knee injury hampered Suter throughout much of the 1986–87 season; he attempted to play through it, but ultimately missed 12 games. Nonetheless, he still scored 49 points in 68 games played. Healthy for 1987–88, Suter had the finest season of his career. His 70 assists and 91 points were the highest single season totals he would record in his career. He played in his
second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...
All-Star Game, was named a second team All-Star and was a finalist for the
James Norris Memorial Trophy The James Norris Memorial Trophy, or simply the Norris Trophy, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top "defenceman, defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". It is name ...
as the NHL's top defenseman. Suter appeared in his
third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...
All-Star Game in 1988–89, but missed 16 games after undergoing an emergency
appendectomy An appendectomy, also termed appendicectomy, is a Surgery, surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedure to treat complicated acu ...
. He had 62 points in 63 games. As had happened in 1986, Suter was injured in the early stages of a deep post-season run by the Flames. He missed most of the
1989 Stanley Cup playoffs The 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs, the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 5, after the conclusion of the 1988–89 NHL season. This was the final year that all of the Division Semifinals began with teams playing t ...
after suffering a broken jaw in Calgary's opening round series against the
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
. He watched as the team won the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
in six games over Montreal. Suter reached the 70-point mark in the next two seasons, finishing with 76 in 1989–90 and 70 in 1990–91. His latter campaign earned him his fourth All-Star Game appearance. Suter also played much of the season while awaiting trial after he was arrested following a June 1990 scuffle with police as they tried to arrest fellow NHL player
Chris Chelios Christos Kostas Chelios (born January 25, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He was one of the longest tenured players in the National Hockey League, and is a three-time Stanley Cup champion—one with the Montreal Can ...
. The issue was resolved in February 1991 when he agreed to a plea bargain on reduced charges and paid an $8,250 fine. A knee injury caused Suter to miss ten games in 1991–92, but he reached two milestones during the season. He scored his 100th career goal on February 25, 1992, against the
Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
, and played in his 500th game on March 12 against the
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
. A career-high 23 goals led Suter's 81-point campaign in 1992–93, but he again struggled with a pair of knee injuries that caused him to miss three months of the 1993–94 season and limited him to 25 games for the Flames. His tenure with Calgary ended on March 10, 1994, when the team included him in a six-player trade. The Flames sent Suter (along with
Paul Ranheim Paul Stephen Ranheim (born January 25, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers and P ...
and
Ted Drury Theodore Evans Drury (born September 13, 1971) is a former American professional ice hockey player who played 414 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers, Ottawa Senators, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New Yor ...
) to the
Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
in exchange for James Patrick,
Zarley Zalapski Zarley Bennett Zalapski (April 22, 1968 – December 10, 2017) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played from 1987 to 2010. Playing career Zalapski's career started with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders of the Alberta Junior Hock ...
and
Michael Nylander Michael Gunnar Nylander (born 3 October 1972) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey centre and current assistant coach with the Mississauga Steelheads in the Ontario Hockey League. He competed for the Swedish national team in the 1998 Wint ...
. The move surprised Suter: "Calgary's meant a great deal to me. You always hear how trades are part of the game and that you don't have any control over them. When it happens, it's a shock. It just blows me away."


Chicago Blackhawks

Suter's tenure with the Whalers lasted only one day, as Hartford immediately traded him to the
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
(along with
Randy Cunneyworth Randy William Cunneyworth (born May 10, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former AHL head coach, NHL head coach and assistant coach, as well as a pro scout, and player development coach spanning nearly 40 years. Cunneyw ...
and a draft pick) in exchange for
František Kučera František Kučera (born February 3, 1968) is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks, Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue ...
and
Jocelyn Lemieux Jocelyn Jean-Marc Lemieux (born November 18, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 597 games in the National Hockey League with six teams over thirteen seasons before finishing his career with the Long Beach Ice Dog ...
. Suter appeared in 16 regular season games with the Blackhawks, finishing the season with 41 games played and 18 points combined between Calgary and Chicago. He quickly established a place alongside Chris Chelios as the team's top defensive pair. In his first full season in Chicago, Suter was looked upon to serve as a team leader and played a key role with the team's power play. He appeared in all 48 games of the
lockout Lockout may refer to: * Lockout (industry), a type of work stoppage **Dublin Lockout, a major industrial dispute between approximately 20,000 workers and 300 employers 1913 - 1914 * Lockout (sports), lockout in sports leagues **MLB lockout, lock ...
-shortened 1994–95 season, scoring 37 points, but missed several playoff games after suffering a broken hand against the Vancouver Canucks. With 67 points in 1995–96, Suter was named to an All-Star team for the fifth time, but a knee injury prevented him from participating in the contest. The 1996–97 season was one of frustration for Suter, as he battled a season-long slump that saw him go 26 games without scoring goal at one point early in the season, then 21 games without a point late. He finished with 28 points, compared to an average of 69 in his previous nine campaigns. In the final year of his contract with Chicago, Suter improved to 42 points in 1997–98. When attempts to negotiate a new deal during the season failed, the team publicly shopped his playing rights around the NHL late in the season but failed to complete a trade. Chicago's best contract offer was a two-year proposal that would have paid Suter $1.85 million per season. Unable to reach terms following the season, the Blackhawks quietly traded his negotiating rights to the
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
in exchange for a ninth-round pick a few days before he would have become an unrestricted free agent. He subsequently signed a three-year, $10 million contract with San Jose.


San Jose Sharks

Suter played only one game for the Sharks in the 1998–99 season, missing virtually the entire campaign after a microbe in his triceps caused an infection that required three surgeries to alleviate. During treatment, doctors also discovered a hole in his heart that required another surgery to correct. At age 35, Suter said he never contemplated retirement due to the ailments as he wanted to repay the Sharks for their support of him. He agreed to defer a portion of his salary that year to allow San Jose to sign a replacement player. Suter returned for the 1999–2000 season healthy and played over 20 minutes per game as San Jose's most experienced defenseman. Reaching a career milestone, Suter played in his 1,000th NHL game on October 25, 2000, scoring a goal in a 3–1 victory over the
Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
. He said the achievement meant a lot to him given both the ailments he overcame and that he was dismissed by critics as unlikely to play in the NHL when he was drafted in 1984. Suter finished the regular season with 34 points, but missed nearly the entire playoffs after suffering a concussion in the Sharks' first playoff game. Signing a new one-year contract, Suter returned to San Jose for a final season in 2001–02 in which he scored 33 points, including his 200th career goal, against the Philadelphia Flyers on January 2, 2002. He announced his retirement as a player following the season.


International

Suter made his international debut with the American national junior team at the
1984 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1984 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''1984 WJHC'') was the eighth edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. It was held from December 25, 1983, to January 3, 1984, in Norrköping and Nyköping, Sweden. The Soviet Union wo ...
where he recorded a goal and an assist in seven games. He was playing college hockey with Wisconsin when he made his debut with the senior team at the 1985 World Championship. One of his team's top players in the tournament, he was named co-MVP of Team USA. Suter played in a second World Championship in
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
. Suter's international career was marred by three controversial incidents. He was the target of international criticism following a vicious incident during the
1987 Canada Cup The 1987 Labatt Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team ...
in a game against the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Following a physical battle with
Andrei Lomakin Andrei Vyacheslavovich Lomakin (russian: Андрей Вячеславович Ломакин, April 3, 1964 – December 9, 2006) was a professional ice hockey player who played parts of four seasons in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers and F ...
, Suter was
speared A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...
in the neck by the Soviet player. He retaliated with a "baseball swing" that broke his stick across Lomakin's face, causing a gash that required 20 stitches to close. Suter was given a six-game suspension from international competition by the
International Ice Hockey Federation The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 m ...
(IIHF), while the NHL assessed a four-game ban of its own. Suter was again vilified in the
1991 Canada Cup The 1991 Labatt Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in August and September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated ...
tournament after he knocked
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
's
Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
out of the tournament with a check-from-behind in the first game of the best-of-three final. Gretzky forgave Suter for the hit, noting he was usually a clean player. In the second game, Suter was responsible for two turnovers that led to goals, including what proved to be the championship-winning marker in a 4–2 victory for Canada. Suter was a member of the American team that won the inaugural
World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the Canada Cup, which was held every 3 to 5 years from 1976 to 1991 and was the first international hockey championship to allow nati ...
in
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
. The third incident occurred during an NHL game shortly before the 1998 Winter Olympic tournament while Suter was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. In a game against the
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Mighty may refer to: * ''Mighty'' (The Planet Smashers album) * ''Mighty'' (Kristene DiMarco album) * ''The Mighty'' (1929 film), a 1929 American action film *''The Mighty'', a 1998 comedy-drama film * ''The Mighty'' (comics), a DC Comics title *Th ...
, he cross-checked
Paul Kariya Paul Tetsuhiko Kariya (born October 16, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known as a skilled and fast-skating offensive player, he played in the NHL for the Might ...
in the head as the latter player celebrated a goal. The hit knocked Kariya, who was expected to represent Canada, out of the Olympic tournament. Suter was given a four-game suspension by the NHL that carried through the Olympic tournament. However, the IIHF allowed him to play in a decision that incensed Canadian officials and resulted in Suter receiving a death threat from an angry Canadian fan. At age 38 and in the final season of his playing career, Suter appeared in his second Olympics, playing in the 2002 tournament in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
. He recorded one assist in six games for the silver-medal-winning American team. The medal came 22 years after his brother Bob's gold in 1980. In recognition of his career and achievements, Suter was inducted into the
United States Hockey Hall of Fame The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the history of ice hockey in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and ...
in 2011.


Off the ice

Suter returned to Wisconsin following his playing career, settling in the rural community of Minocqua where he and his wife Cathy raised their family. They have two sons, Jake and Jared, both of whom also play hockey. Jake was a defenseman for the UMass Lowell River Hawks. In addition to his sons, several of Suter's nephews are also defensemen. Among them is Bob's son
Ryan Ryan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) *Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Australia * Division of Ryan, an elector ...
, who also plays in the NHL and is an Olympian, and whom Gary considered unretiring to play with when the younger Suter was drafted by the
Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
in
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
. Instead, he turned to coaching, working with the Madison Capitols program, as well as assisting with the
Lakeland Union High School Lakeland Union High School (LUHS) is a high school located in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Academics LUHS offers Honors and Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which o ...
T-Birds in Minocqua. Gary is one of several members of the Suter family who operate a youth hockey camp in Madison that was held for the 17th year in 2012.


Career statistics


Regular season and playoffs


International


Awards and honors


References

*''Career statistics'':


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Suter, Gary 1964 births Living people American men's ice hockey defensemen Calder Trophy winners Calgary Flames draft picks Calgary Flames players Chicago Blackhawks players Culver Academies alumni Dubuque Fighting Saints players Sportspeople from Madison, Wisconsin Ice hockey players from Wisconsin Ice hockey players at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players at the 2002 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2002 Winter Olympics Minnesota Wild scouts National Hockey League All-Stars Olympic silver medalists for the United States in ice hockey People from Minocqua, Wisconsin San Jose Sharks players Stanley Cup champions Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey players