Brandon Sutter
Brandon Sutter | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 14, 1989 |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player (former) |
| Years active | 2008–2023 |
| Known for | NHL player for Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks |
Brandon Sutter (born February 14, 1989) is a former professional ice hockey player of Canadian-American nationality who competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) representing the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Vancouver Canucks.
Junior
During his junior years, Sutter played for the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where his father, Brent Sutter, served as head coach. In the 2006–07 season, he took part in the WHL's squad for the annual ADT Canada-Russia Challenge and appeared in the 2007 CHL Top Prospects Game. He was selected 11th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Carolina Hurricanes
Following a short stint with Carolina’s AHL team, the Albany River Rats, at the conclusion of his 2007–08 WHL campaign, Sutter made his NHL debut in the 2008–09 season. His first NHL goal came on October 23, 2008, against goaltender Marc-André Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Just two days later, he sustained a concussion after a legal check by Doug Weight of the New York Islanders, an incident that underscored ongoing concerns about head injuries within the league. He was sidelined for eight games before returning to action.
On July 12, 2011, Sutter agreed to a three-year contract extension with Carolina worth $6.2 million.
Pittsburgh Penguins
On June 22, 2012, Sutter was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a deal that included Brian Dumoulin and Carolina's first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft (used to select Derrick Pouliot), in exchange for Jordan Staal. Notably, on March 12, 2013, he netted two goals within a span of 3:24 during the third period against the Boston Bruins, helping secure a 3–2 comeback win. The Penguins re-signed him on August 5, 2014, with a two-year contract extension valued at $6.6 million.
Vancouver Canucks
Sutter was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on July 28, 2015, along with a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, in exchange for Nick Bonino, Adam Clendening, and a second-round pick in 2016. Shortly after joining Vancouver, on August 4, 2015, he signed a five-year contract extension worth $21.875 million. During the 2015–16 season, he appeared in only 16 games before undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. After missing 33 contests, he returned on January 26, 2016; however, his season ended prematurely due to a broken jaw sustained on February 9. That injury-ridden season saw him tally five goals and four assists.
In August 2016, Sutter changed his jersey number from 21 to 20 to make way for newcomer Loui Eriksson. On January 4, 2017, he successfully converted his second career penalty shot against Mike Smith of the Arizona Coyotes.
Sutter’s career was frequently interrupted by injuries: a groin injury in November 2017 caused him to miss 21 games; upon returning in January 2018, he scored an overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild. In October of that year, he suffered a separated shoulder expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. After returning early January, another groin injury occurred in February 2019. Surgery for an additional sports hernia in March ended his season.
In the 2019–20 campaign, Sutter missed several games due to various upper- and lower-body injuries but returned in January and played every remaining game until the season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the playoffs that year, he contributed one goal and five assists.
On January 25, 2021, Sutter achieved his first NHL hat-trick facing the Ottawa Senators. After completing six seasons with Vancouver and fulfilling his contract terms, he signed a one-year extension worth $1.125 million on July 29, 2021. Unfortunately, he did not participate in any games during the 2021–22 season due to long COVID complications following a positive test in March 2021 and was placed on long-term injured reserve; this absence extended through the entire 2022–23 season as well.
Retirement
On August 29, 2023, Sutter agreed to a professional tryout (PTO) agreement with the Edmonton Oilers. Following his release from this PTO, he declared his retirement on October 1.
International play
Possessing dual citizenship in both the United States and Canada, Sutter opted to represent Canada in international competitions. He participated extensively at the under-18 and under-20 levels, competing in the 2006 and 2007 events, finishing just shy of a bronze medal on both occasions.
After being selected in the 2007 draft, Sutter joined Canada's under-20 squad for the 2007 Super Series, an eight-game matchup against Russia's junior team, where his father Brent served as head coach. During Game 7 in Red Deer, Alberta, Sutter scored and earned the player of the game distinction. He also took part in the 2008 World Junior Championships, contributing to Canada’s gold medal victory with an overtime win over Sweden.
Personal life
Sutter belongs to the well-known Sutter hockey family. His father, Brent Sutter, coached him with both the Red Deer Rebels and Team Canada; Brent additionally held the position of head coach for the Calgary Flames. His brother Merrick holds the role of senior vice president with the Rebels. Cousins Brett and Brody Sutter have professional hockey experience in the AHL and WHL leagues.
Due to Brent's career moves, Sutter resided in Huntington, New York, and Chicago before settling in Red Deer after his father acquired ownership of the Rebels organization.
In March 2021, Sutter contracted COVID-19 as part of a group of 21 Canucks players affected by the virus and has since experienced lingering post-COVID symptoms that have interfered with his training regimen. Unlike some teammates, he has not developed COVID-related myocarditis.
His Penguins teammates nicknamed him "Flat Stanley" in reference to his slim physique and as a nod to the flattened character from the children's book series.
Regular season and playoffs
[...]| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2004–05 | Red Deer Rebels | WHL | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | Red Deer Rebels | WHL | 68 | 22 | 24 | 46 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Red Deer Rebels | WHL | 71 | 20 | 37 | 57 | 54 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 2007–08 | Red Deer Rebels | WHL | 59 | 26 | 23 | 49 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 50 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | |||||||
| 2008–09 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 22 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | |||||||
| 2009–10 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 72 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 2 | |||||||
| NHL totals | 770 | 152 | 137 | 289 | 149 | 50 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 8 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | Placement | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Canada Pacific | U17 | 4th place | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Canada | WJC18 | Finished 4th | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2006 | Canada | IH18 | Gold | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2007 | Canada | WJC18 | Placed 4th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2008 | Canada | WJC | Gold medal | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Junior career totals | 30 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 6 | ||||