Introduction
Ryan Suter (born January 21, 1985) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain with the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for the Nashville Predators.
Ryan's father, Bob, 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. Ryan's uncle Gary Suter was a longtime standout in the NHL. Ryan was alternate captain for the US team, earning a silver medal in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Playing career
Suter played for the Madison Capitols, Culver Military Academy and then went on to the USA Hockey's National Development Team in Ann Arbor, Michigan before he was drafted 7th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He then played one year with the Wisconsin Badgers (Western Collegiate Hockey Association in NCAA Division I) before joining the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League during the 2004–05 season. He played his rookie season in the NHL with the Predators in 2005–06.
On June 16, 2008, Suter signed a four-year contract extension with the Predators, worth $14 million. The contract kicked in with the 2008–09 NHL season.
Suter agreed to terms with the Wild for a 13-year contract on July 4, 2012 which is worth $98 million. He and fellow free-agent signee Zach Parise were introduced to the media on July 10, and were announced as alternate captains under current captain Mikko Koivu. Suter got off to a rough start with a -7 in his first 9 games. However, once rookie Jonas Brodin paired up with him, Suter began playing to expectations and was among three finalists for the Norris Trophy. Suter averaged a league leading 27:17 minutes of ice time. Suter helped Minnesota reach the playoffs, but the team fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.
On January 4, 2014, Suter notched his very first NHL hat trick 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 2-on-1 with defenseman Clayton Stoner. This goal sealed what would eventually be a 5–3 victory for the Wild.
In 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.
International
In international play, he has represented the United States in ten 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."
On January 1, 2010, Suter was selected for the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He was one of the team's alternate captains.
In 2016, he was also selected to represent the United States at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey alongside teammate Zach Parise.
Personal life
Suter resides in Madison, Wisconsin in the off-season. He is married to Becky Suter (née Palmer), who is from Bloomington, Minnesota. Ryan and Becky have a son named Brooks William Suter and a daughter named Avery. They welcomed a second daughter in March 2015, ParkerHis uncle is Gary Suter. Ryan's father, Bob Suter, member of the Miracle on Ice U.S. hockey team in the 1980 Winter Olympics, died September 9, 2014.
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 | USHS | 26 | 13 | 32 | 45 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | U.S. National Development Team | NAHL | 35 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | U.S. National Development Team | NAHL | 9 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | 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 | ||
| NHL totals | 913 | 69 | 373 | 442 | 568 | 78 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 44 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | United States | U17 | 01 ! |
7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2002 | United States | WJC18 | 01 ! |
8 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 12 | |
| 2003 | United States | WJC18 | 4th | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 22 | |
| 2003 | United States | WJC | 4th | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2004 | United States | WJC | 01 ! |
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 | 02 ! |
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 | |
| Junior totals | 41 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 68 | ||||
| Senior totals | 39 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 36 | ||||
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 | |