Brent Colin Sutter (born 10 June 1962 in Viking,
Alberta, Canada) is a retired National Hockey League
(NHL) player and current head coach of the NHL's New
Jersey Devils. He is the owner, and former
president, general manager and head coach of the Red
Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League (WHL), who
won the Memorial Cup championship in 2001. Brian
Sutter replaced Brent as the head coach of the
Rebels. He is the third youngest of seven Sutter
brothers, six of whom made the NHL (along with
Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich and Ron). Brent spent the
better part of seven seasons playing as a teammate
of older brother Duane. In their first two years
together on the New York Islanders, they were
members of the 1982 and 1983 Stanley Cup Champions.
Sutter coached the Canadian junior ice hockey teams
to consecutive gold medals at the 2005 World Junior
Ice Hockey Championships and 2006 World Junior Ice
Hockey Championships. He led both teams to unbeaten
records, becoming the first coach to lead Canada to
consecutive gold medals. Sutter declined Hockey
Canada's offer to return for a third time in 2007.
During the eight-game 2007 Super Series, Sutter
extended his junior coaching unbeaten record to 20
straight games - 19 of them wins - behind the
Canadian bench in international junior play.
Brent played for the New York Islanders and the
Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL and scored 829 points
(363 goals, 466 assists) in 1111 regular season
games and 74 points (30 goals, 44 assists) in 144
playoff games.
In the 1980 NHL Entry Draft Sutter was the
Islanders' first pick, and the 17th overall. He
played with the Islanders between 1981 and 1991.
Brent would have the fortune of being on a team that
entered the Stanley Cup finals in his first three
seasons, winning in his first two. After Denis
Potvin retired, starting in 1988-89, Brent was named
captain of the Islanders.
In 1991, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks
with Brad Lauer for Adam Creighton and Steve Thomas.
He spent the last seven years of his NHL career in
Chicago. During part of his time with the Hawks he
was coached by his older brother Darryl. Brent was
the last active player that had played with the
Islanders during their early 80s dynasty, as well as
the last member of the team still with the
Islanders, when he was traded to the Chicago in
1991. In 1991-92, he helped lead the Hawks to a
Stanley Cup final appearance, thus playing in four
Cup finals in his career.
His son, Brandon, plays for the Rebels, and was the
Carolina Hurricanes' first-round selection in the
2007 NHL draft.
Sutter resigned as head coach and GM of the Rebels
on July 12, 2007; he was named head coach of the New
Jersey Devils the next day.
