Ryan Suter

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	Dallas Stars Nashville Predators Minnesota Wild
National team	United States
NHL draft	7th overall, 2003 Nashville Predators
Playing career	2004–present

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

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

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

Amateur

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)

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)

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–present)

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]

International play

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." ^[26]

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. ^[27]

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. ^[28]

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

Personal life

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. ^{[29] [30]}

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				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

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

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

• Notable families in the NHL

References

1. "Ryan Suter". Elite Prospects. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
2. 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.
15. "Youngest Defensemen, First NHL Goal". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
16. 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.
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. "Suter finds place in Team USA". USA Hockey. 2007-04-05. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
27. "Suter Named Alternate Captain for US Olympic Team". Nashville Predators. Nashville, Tenn. January 11, 2010.
28. "First 17 players named to 2019 U.S. Men's national team". USA Hockey. April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
29. "Suter, Parise are Minnesota bound". jawandpuck.com. 2012-07-01. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
30. Madsen, Tamira (September 2014). "Hockey's Ryan Suter Is Back". madisonmagazine.com. Retrieved 2014-09-13.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Scottie Upshall	Nashville Predators first round draft pick 2003	Succeeded by Alexander Radulov