After 17 seasons as a pro hockey player, Brett Sutter is hanging up the skates.
Well, sort of …
On Monday, Sutter announced that his time as a player was done but he won’t be stepping away from the game.
Instead, he’ll be taking on a new role as an assistant coach for the Calgary Wranglers.
“Following 17 seasons as a player, I’m very proud and excited to leave the game and have the opportunity to step directly into this role with the Flames organization,” Sutter said in a press release. “Saying goodbye to playing isn’t easy, the game has treated my family and I so well for so long but the opportunity to stay within the organization that my family loves, makes this transition easier. I’m grateful to the Flames for the opportunity.”
Sutter has been with the Wranglers since 2022, so he’s well aware of how the Flames’ AHL affiliate works.
And he’s got a long history with the teams at the Saddledome, too.
The son of former head coach and GM Darryl, Sutter was selected by the Flames in the sixth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
He’d make his NHL debut with the Flames in 2008, scoring his first goal in his first game and he’d go on to play 60 games in the league.
But it was in the AHL where Sutter truly made his mark.
He played 1,090 games in the league, the fourth most career games of any player in history. He’d be a captain for his respective AHL teams for a total of 10 seasons and recorded 198 goals and 265 assists during his lengthy tenure.
Now, though, it’s on to a coaching role, where he’ll be on the bench helping Wranglers head coach Trent Cull and assistant Joe Cirella.
“The combination of Brett just finishing his professional playing career and his leadership qualities as a captain for most of his AHL career, provides our coaching staff with valuable knowledge, relationships and experience,” said Flames Vice-President/Assistant General Manager and Wranglers General Manager Brad Pascall in a press release. “We look forward to Brett’s continued positive impact on our young players. We view it as a perfect fit.”