Ryan Suter (born January 21, 1985) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars. Internationally, Suter has represented the U.S. national team at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Ryan Suter
Suter with the Minnesota Wild in 2019
Born (1985-01-21) January 21, 1985 (age 39)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 206 lb (93 kg; 14 st 10 lb)
Position Defense
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams
St. Louis Blues
Nashville Predators
Minnesota Wild
Dallas Stars
National team  United States
NHL draft 7th overall, 2003
Nashville Predators
Playing career 2004–present

Suter was born into an athletic family as his father, Bob Suter, was a member of the historic gold medal-winning 1980 United States Olympic hockey team that defeated the Soviet Union in the famous "Miracle on Ice" game. Suter's uncle Gary Suter was also a longtime standout in the NHL.

Personal life

edit

Suter was born on January 21, 1985, in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.[1] to parents Bob and Diane.[2] He grew up in Wisconsin alongside his younger brother Garrett while their father coached at the University of Wisconsin and their mother worked as an ice hockey administrator.[3] Suter was born into an athletic family as his father was a member of the United States men's national ice hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games and his uncle Gary Suter was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL).[2]

Playing career

edit

Amateur

edit

Growing up, Suter played for the Madison Capitols and Culver Military Academy before joining the USA Hockey's National Development Team in Ann Arbor, Michigan.[1] Following a change to the NCAA legislature, Suter was able to enroll and play at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW) while remaining eligible for the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.[4] He was eventually drafted seventh overall by the Nashville Predators in the NHL Entry Draft.[5] Prior to returning to the Badgers, Suter participated in the Predators conditioning camp ahead of the 2003–04 season. As he signed a contract with the Badgers, Suter was required to pay for his own room and board while attending the camp.[6] Upon rejoining the Badgers, Suter was selected as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) preseason Rookie of the Year.[7] Although Suter began the season with one goal through six games, he was given an increase in defensive responsibilities on the Badger's rookie-dominated, power-play unit.[8] Suter finished his rookie season with a selection for the All-WCHA Rookie Team and All-WCHA Third Team.[9] While Suter re-enrolled at UW for his sophomore season, he signed a professional contract with the Predators on September 7. Due to the suddenness and inconvenience of the signing, as the season had already started, Predators general manager David Poile called the Badgers head coach to apologize.[10]

Nashville Predators (2005–2012)

edit
 
Suter with the Nashville Predators in February 2010.

After playing one season with the Wisconsin Badgers, Suter joined the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the 2004–05 season due to the NHL lockout. In his only season with the Admirals, Suter tallied seven goals and 23 points to help the Admirals to 49 wins.[11] Following his rookie season, Suter spent three days at the U.S. Olympic orientation camp before joining the Predators for their training camp.[12] He subsequently made his NHL debut, and tallied his first NHL assist, on October 6, 2005, against the San Jose Sharks.[13] Suter later scored his first career NHL goal on December 21, against the Chicago Blackhawks,[14] becoming one of the youngest defenceman to score his first goal in NHL history.[15] As the Predators made a push for the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs, the team traded a first-round draft pick for veteran defenseman Brendan Witt. As such, Suter was limited to 71 games and 16 points during the regular season and saw no ice time during the playoffs.[16]

Suter returned to the Predators for the 2006–07 season, where he improved significantly from his rookie season. He tallied eight goals and improved to 24 points while skating an average of 20:09 minutes per game. As the Predators qualified for the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, Suter appeared in all five playoff contests against the Sharks.[16] He tallied his first career playoff goal in the Predators Game 3 loss on April 16, 2007.[17] This would prove to be his only point as the Predators fell to the Sharks in five games.[1]

On June 16, 2008, Suter signed a four-year, $14 million contract extension with the Predators which commenced for the 2008–09 NHL season.[18]

Minnesota Wild (2012–2021)

edit
 
Suter with the Wild in February 2013.

On July 4, 2012, Suter signed a 13-year, $98 million contract with the Minnesota Wild. He and fellow free agent signee Zach Parise were introduced to the media on July 10 and were announced as alternate captains under captain Mikko Koivu.[19][20] Suter got off to a rough start with a –7 plus-minus rating in his first nine games. However, once he began pairing with rookie defenseman Jonas Brodin, Suter began playing to expectations and was among three finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded yearly to the NHL's top defenseman. For the season, Suter averaged an NHL-leading 27:17 minutes of ice time as Minnesota reached the playoffs, where the team fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.

Suter scored his first NHL hat-trick on January 4, 2014, against the Washington Capitals; his first two goals came on the power play 38 seconds apart in the second period, and in the third period, right after his penalty expired, Suter scored his third goal on a two-on-one with defenseman Clayton Stoner.[21] This goal sealed what would eventually be a 5–3 victory for the Wild.

During the 2015–16 season, Suter set a franchise record for the Minnesota Wild with the most points by a defenseman in a single season. With 43 assists and 51 points, he also set a personal best in both categories. Throughout his tenure with the Wild, he has continuously been relied upon to play a large number of minutes including on the power play and on the penalty kill.

On October 19, 2018, in a 3–1 win against the Dallas Stars, Suter recorded his 500th NHL point, becoming the 11th American-born defensemen to reach the milestone.[22] Later that month, on October 25, Suter played in his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 109th defenseman to reach the milestone.[23]

On July 13, 2021, the Wild bought out the remaining four years of Suter's contract.[24]

Dallas Stars (2021–2024)

edit

On July 28, 2021, the opening day of free agency, Suter agreed to sign a four-year, $14.6 million contract to join the Dallas Stars.[25]

Following the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, Suter was bought out of the final year of his contract for the second time in his career, becoming only the second player in NHL history to be bought out twice (the other player being Tony DeAngelo).[26][27]

St. Louis Blues (2024–present)

edit

On July 10, 2024, Suter remained in the central division after was signed as a free agent to a one-year, $3 million incentive laden contract with the St. Louis Blues for the 2024–25 season.[28]

International play

edit
 
Canada's Jonathan Toews guards the puck from Suter during the 2010 Winter Olympics
Medal record
Representing   United States
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
  2010 Vancouver
World Junior Championships
  2004 Helsinki
IIHF World U18 Championships
  2002 Trnava
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
  2002 Manitoba

Suter has represented the United States in eleven tournaments, and has won three gold medals.

I feel it's an honor to wear the Team USA Jersey and every time I'm on the ice I play my hardest and give everything I have. Playing for Team USA is one of those things you look forward to. When I got the call and was asked to play on this team, it was an easy answer. It didn't matter who was on the team or who the coach was. It's just an honor to wear the jersey and compete for your country."[29]

On January 1, 2010, Suter was named to the United States' roster for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He was one of the team's alternate captains.[30]

In 2016, he was also selected to represent the United States at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey alongside Wild teammate, Zach Parise.

On April 19, 2019, Suter returned to the International stage for the first time in three years as he accepted an invitation to represent Team USA at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, held in Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia.[31]

In 2020, Suter was introduced into the IIHF All-Time USA Team.

Personal life

edit

Suter resides in Madison, Wisconsin, during the NHL off-season. He is married to Becky Suter (née Palmer), who is from Bloomington, Minnesota. Ryan and Becky have four children together.[32][33]

Career statistics

edit

Regular season and playoffs

edit
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2000–01 Culver Military Academy HS-Prep 26 13 32 45 38
2001–02 U.S. NTDP U17 USDP 8 2 11 13 21
2001–02 U.S. NTDP U18 USDP 27 4 10 14 6
2001–02 U.S. NTDP U18 NAHL 35 2 10 12 75
2002–03 U.S. NTDP U18 USDP 42 7 17 24 124
2002–03 U.S. NTDP U18 NAHL 9 2 5 7 12
2003–04 Wisconsin Badgers WCHA 39 3 16 19 93
2004–05 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 63 7 16 23 70 7 1 5 6 16
2005–06 Nashville Predators NHL 71 1 15 16 66
2006–07 Nashville Predators NHL 82 8 16 24 54 5 1 0 1 8
2007–08 Nashville Predators NHL 76 7 24 31 71 6 1 1 2 4
2008–09 Nashville Predators NHL 82 7 38 45 73
2009–10 Nashville Predators NHL 82 4 33 37 48 6 0 0 0 0
2010–11 Nashville Predators NHL 70 4 35 39 54 12 1 5 6 6
2011–12 Nashville Predators NHL 79 7 39 46 30 10 1 3 4 4
2012–13 Minnesota Wild NHL 48 4 28 32 28 5 0 0 0 4
2013–14 Minnesota Wild NHL 82 8 35 43 34 13 1 6 7 4
2014–15 Minnesota Wild NHL 77 2 36 38 48 10 0 3 3 0
2015–16 Minnesota Wild NHL 82 8 43 51 30 6 0 3 3 4
2016–17 Minnesota Wild NHL 82 9 31 40 36 5 1 2 3 10
2017–18 Minnesota Wild NHL 78 6 45 51 34
2018–19 Minnesota Wild NHL 82 7 40 47 41
2019–20 Minnesota Wild NHL 69 8 40 48 12 3 0 1 1 0
2020–21 Minnesota Wild NHL 56 3 16 19 12 7 0 1 1 0
2021–22 Dallas Stars NHL 82 7 25 32 40 7 0 3 3 2
2022–23 Dallas Stars NHL 82 3 22 25 26 19 0 6 6 18
2023–24 Dallas Stars NHL 82 2 15 17 28 19 1 3 4 16
NHL totals 1,444 105 576 681 761 133 7 37 44 80

International

edit
Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2002 United States U17   7 2 3 5 4
2002 United States WJC18   8 1 6 7 12
2003 United States WJC 4th 7 2 1 3 2
2003 United States WJC18 4th 6 1 3 4 22
2004 United States WJC   6 0 2 2 8
2005 United States WJC 4th 7 1 7 8 20
2005 United States WC 6th 1 0 0 0 0
2006 United States WC 7th 7 1 1 2 10
2007 United States WC 5th 7 1 2 3 12
2009 United States WC 4th 9 1 2 3 8
2010 United States OG   6 0 4 4 2
2014 United States OG 4th 6 0 3 3 4
2016 United States WCH 7th 3 0 1 1 0
2019 United States WC 7th 8 0 5 5 4
Junior totals 41 7 22 29 68
Senior totals 47 3 18 21 40

Awards and honors

edit
Award Year
College
All-WCHA Rookie Team 2004
All-WCHA Third Team 2004
NHL
All-Star Game 2012, 2015, 2017
First All-Star team 2013
International
IIHF All-Time USA Team 2020

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Ryan Suter". Elite Prospects. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Russo, Michael (October 25, 2018). "Ryan Suter: Man of 1,000 games and almost as many business interests". The Athletic. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Graff, Chad (September 5, 2015). "Suter returns to boyhood rink for father's legacy". The Dickinson Press. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  4. ^ Baggot, Andy (May 27, 2003). "NHL, Suter already on fire-name basis". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved October 5, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Lucas, Mike (June 23, 2003). "Suter's next step pure speculation". The Capital Times. Retrieved October 5, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Glennon, John; Cirillo, Chip (June 23, 2003). "Conditioning camp next for Suter, others". The Tennessean. Retrieved October 5, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Milewski, Todd D. (October 2, 2003). "Suter embraces low-key profile". The Capital Times. Retrieved October 5, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Baggot, Andy (November 1, 2003). "Learning the hard way". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved October 5, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "WCHA". USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  10. ^ "Suter postscript". Wisconsin State Journal. September 19, 2004. Retrieved October 5, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Karnosky, Jason (March 15, 2011). "Milwaukee alums finding success in NHL". American Hockey League. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  12. ^ "U.S. Olympic hockey camp concludes with scrimmage". ESPN. September 8, 2005. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  13. ^ "After unbeaten preseason, San Jose drops opener". ESPN. October 5, 2005. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  14. ^ "Suter gets first NHL goal as Nashville spanks Chicago". ESPN. December 22, 2005. Retrieved October 5, 2023.[dead link]
  15. ^ "Youngest Defensemen, First NHL Goal". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Glennon, John (February 2008). "Attitude Determines Altitude". USA Hockey Magazine. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  17. ^ "San Jose scores three unanswered to grab 2-1 series lead". ESPN. April 17, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2023.[dead link]
  18. ^ "Predators sign Suter to four-year contract". Reuters. June 16, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  19. ^ "Wild agrees to terms with Suter, working on Parise". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. 2012-07-04. Retrieved 2012-07-04.
  20. ^ "Ex-Badger Suter, Parise make Minnesota place to be". NBC Sports. 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  21. ^ Hat trick: Ryan Suter scores 3 in Wild's 5-3 win over Capitals
  22. ^ Miller, Jeff (October 19, 2018). "Suter, Wild rally past Stars in third". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 20, 2018. Suter became the 11th United States-born defensemen with 500 NHL points
  23. ^ Myers, Dan (October 15, 2018). "'All-time player' Suter preps for 1,000th NHL game". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  24. ^ "Wild to buy out contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter". Minnesota Wild. July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "Suter, Holtby each sign contract with Stars". National Hockey League. July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  26. ^ Russo, Michael; LeBrun, Pierre (June 27, 2024). "Dallas Stars buying out Ryan Suter ahead of final year of contract: Sources". The Athletic. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  27. ^ "Stars buy out defenseman Ryan Suter". Dallas Stars. June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  28. ^ "Suter agrees to one-year contract with Blues". St. Louis Blues. July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  29. ^ "Suter finds place in Team USA". USA Hockey. 2007-04-05. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  30. ^ "Suter Named Alternate Captain for US Olympic Team". Nashville Predators. Nashville, Tenn. January 11, 2010.
  31. ^ "First 17 players named to 2019 U.S. Men's national team". USA Hockey. April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  32. ^ "Suter, Parise are Minnesota bound". jawandpuck.com. 2012-07-01. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  33. ^ Madsen, Tamira (September 2014). "Hockey's Ryan Suter Is Back". madisonmagazine.com. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
edit
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Nashville Predators first round draft pick
2003
Succeeded by