Darryl Sutter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Darryl Sutter
Sutter in 2014
Born	(1958-08-19) August 19, 1958 (age 66) Viking, Alberta, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Chicago Blackhawks
Coached for	Chicago Blackhawks San Jose Sharks Calgary Flames Los Angeles Kings
NHL Draft	179th overall, 1978 Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career	1979–1987
Coaching career	1987–2023

Darryl John Sutter (born August 19, 1958) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach for the Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League (NHL). Darryl is one of seven Sutter brothers. Six of them played in the NHL: Brian, Darryl, Duane, Brent, Rich, and Ron.

As a player, Sutter was known for his hard work and tough play. He played over 400 games in the NHL. Sutter was the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks for five years. He had to retire at age 28 due to injuries.

Besides the Flames, Sutter has coached the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings. He led the Kings to two Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014. He is the winningest coach in the Kings' history. He also worked for the Flames as head coach and general manager before rejoining them in 2021.

Playing Career Highlights

Sutter grew up playing hockey in Viking, Alberta. He followed his brother Brian Sutter to play for the Red Deer Rustlers. He scored 114 goals and 306 points in 176 games over three seasons. In 1977, he joined the Lethbridge Broncos of the WCHL.

Even with a strong WCHL season, Sutter was picked late in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft. The Chicago Black Hawks chose him 179th overall. He felt an NHL career might not happen. He played in Japan for a season before joining the Black Hawks' minor league team, the New Brunswick Hawks. He won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL rookie of the year in 1980.

Chicago Blackhawks Player

Sutter joined the NHL in the 1979–80 season. He scored his first NHL goal on December 16, 1979. In his first full season (1980–81), he scored a career-high 40 goals and 62 points. He even scored a hattrick against the Edmonton Oilers. He finished fourth in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is for the best rookie.

In the 1981–82 season, injuries shortened his play to 40 games. He suffered a separated shoulder in the playoffs. On December 10, 1982, Sutter became the captain of the Chicago Black Hawks. He played through broken ribs in the 1983 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Injuries continued to affect Sutter's career. In January 1984, he was hit in the face by a puck. His left eye was knocked from its socket, and he needed surgery. He missed many games in the following seasons due to knee, ankle, and rib injuries. Despite this, he often played better when hurt, showing his toughness.

In the 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored 12 goals and 7 assists in 15 games. He helped the Black Hawks reach the Conference Finals. They lost to the Edmonton Oilers led by Wayne Gretzky.

Sutter's final NHL season was 1986–87. He retired at age 28 because of his many injuries. He played 406 NHL games, all for the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored 161 goals and 118 assists for 279 points. He also had 24 goals and 19 assists in 51 playoff games. Darryl played the fewest games among the six Sutter brothers in the NHL. However, he had the highest average goals per game.

Coaching Career

Sutter started coaching right after retiring from playing. He became an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987.

Early Coaching Success

His first head coaching job was with the Saginaw Hawks in the IHL in 1988. The next season, he coached the Indianapolis Ice to a Turner Cup championship. He also won the IHL Commissioners' Trophy as coach of the year.

Chicago Blackhawks Coach

Sutter returned to the Chicago Blackhawks as an associate coach in 1990. He was part of the team that reached the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals. In 1992, he became the head coach of the Blackhawks. In his first season (1992–93), he led Chicago to a great record of 47–25–12. They finished first in their division.

In the lockout-shortened season, he led Chicago to the Western Conference Finals. After that season, Sutter decided to leave hockey. He wanted to spend more time with his son, Christopher, who has Down syndrome.

San Jose Sharks Coach

After two years away, Sutter returned to coaching in 1997. He became the head coach of the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks had a tough season before he arrived. In his first year, he improved their record and led them to the playoffs.

He continued to improve the Sharks' record each season. In the 1999–2000 season, they beat the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs. In the 2001–02 season, the Sharks finished first in their division. They won their first playoff series but lost in the second round. Sutter was fired early in the 2002–03 season.

Calgary Flames (First Time)

Just weeks after leaving San Jose, Sutter became the head coach of the Calgary Flames in December 2002. In April 2003, he also became the Flames' general manager.

In the 2003–04 season, Sutter led the Flames to their first playoff appearance in seven years. As general manager, he made a key trade to get goalie Mikka Kiprusoff. Kiprusoff played a huge role in the Flames' success. The Flames made a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Finals, beating three higher-ranked teams. They lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sutter at the 2006 NHL Awards

In 2005, Sutter drafted his son, Brett Sutter, in the same draft spot he was picked in 1978. In 2006, Sutter stepped down as head coach to focus only on being the general manager. He felt it was too hard to do both jobs.

As general manager, Sutter hired Mike Keenan as head coach in 2007. Later, in 2009, he hired his younger brother, Brent Sutter, as head coach. Darryl resigned as general manager of the Flames in December 2010.

Los Angeles Kings Coach

In December 2011, the Los Angeles Kings hired Sutter as their new head coach. He led the Kings to the 2012 playoffs as the eighth and last seed. The Kings then made history by beating the top three teams in their conference. They went on to defeat the New Jersey Devils to win their first Stanley Cup ever! They set records by winning ten straight road games in the playoffs.

In the 2013–14 season, the Kings won their second Stanley Cup in three years. They had an amazing playoff run. They came back from being down 3-0 in their first series against the San Jose Sharks, winning four games in a row. They then won two more tough seven-game series. Finally, they beat the New York Rangers to win the Stanley Cup. The Kings played 26 playoff games that year, the most for any Stanley Cup champion.

The Kings missed the playoffs in 2015 and 2017. In April 2017, Sutter was let go as coach. He announced his retirement from coaching in June 2018.

Calgary Flames (Second Time)

On March 4, 2021, Sutter was hired again as head coach of the Flames. He helped the team improve their play. In the 2021–22 season, the Flames had one of their best seasons ever. They finished first in their division with 50 wins. Sutter won the Jack Adams Award for the best coach in the league. His brother Brian, who had won the award in 1991, presented it to him. The Flames lost in the second round of the playoffs that year.

Sutter was fired by the Flames on May 1, 2023, after they missed the playoffs.

Reputation and Style

Playing Style

Darryl Sutter was known as a tough, competitive, and hard-working player. He played with great effort even though he wasn't the biggest or most naturally skilled. He used a "hardnose" style to slow down faster players. The Sutter brothers learned their tough nature from growing up with many competitions. Darryl once said, "None of us has that much ability...we just relied on effort."

His strong work ethic led the Chicago Blackhawks to name him captain at age 24. He was known for speaking up in practice, calling out teammates for mistakes. Even with many injuries, like a fractured ankle and a separated shoulder, he often played better when hurt. His teammate Rick Paterson said, "(Darryl) does more hurt than most guys do healthy. "

Coaching Style

Former NHL coach Don Cherry ranked Sutter as one of the most successful NHL head coaches. Cherry said Sutter can inspire teams to win even against more talented opponents. Sutter believes in strong goaltending, good team defense, and forwards who play well on both offense and defense. He helped teams like the San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, and Los Angeles Kings succeed with great goalies.

Sutter's teams play with the same physical, aggressive, and hard-working style he had as a player. He expects his players to be tough and difficult to play against. He has been known to bench or trade players who don't meet his high expectations. Former player Martin Gélinas said Sutter was great at motivating players.

However, some players have said Sutter could be tough to deal with. Former Kings player Justin Williams mentioned that Sutter could be condescending and had a temper. Sutter's serious personality and constant scowl led to him being nicknamed "The Jolly Rancher" because he also owns a cattle ranch.

As a general manager, Sutter had mixed results. Many of his draft picks for the Flames did not play many NHL games.

Personal Life

Darryl Sutter was born on August 19, 1958, in Viking, Alberta. He was the third of seven brothers. His parents were farmers. The family lived without electricity or indoor plumbing until Darryl was nine years old.

Sutter is married to Wanda, and they have three children: Brett, Jessie, and Christopher. Christopher has Down Syndrome. Sutter built his home next to his parents' farm in Viking, where he raises cattle.

In 1997, during a break from coaching, Sutter fell from a height of 12 feet while working on his farm. He suffered a skull fracture and a broken shoulder blade.

In 1996, the Sutter brothers started The Sutter Fund. This group raises money for family and child organizations in Central Alberta.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Head Coaching Record

These tables show Darryl Sutter's coaching record in the NHL and IHL.

NHL Coaching Record

IHL Coaching Record

See also

• List of NHL head coaches
• Notable families in the NHL