FN’s All-Time Greatest Flames Team: Gary Suter

The next member of FlamesNation’s All-Time Flames Team is the best ninth round pick in Calgary Flames history: Gary Suter.

Chosen in the late rounds of the 1984 Draft from the University of Wisconsin, Suter roared into camp a year later and ended up being a big part of the Flames successes during his nine years on the blueline.

In the midst of his rookie season, Flames head coach referred to Gary Suter as the best defenseman on the team. That was the 1985-86 Flames team that went to the Stanley Cup Final; that featured Al MacInnis, Jamie Macoun, Paul Reinhart, Paul Baxter, Steve Konroyd and Neil Sheehy on the blueline. (Outside of Sheehy, they were all pretty damn good.) Safe to say, he got off to a really good start to his NHL career.

Suter ended up winning the Calder Trophy in ’86 but missed making a Stanley Cup Final appearance due to injury. He also ended up missing the 1989 Final with injuries, but got a ring anyway when the team won the Cup. During his tenure in Calgary, he was named to the All-Star Game four times – including during his rookie season.

Suter left the Flames during the mid-1990s teardown of the old core; he was traded with Ted Drury and Paul Ranheim to Hartford in exchange for Michael Nylander, Zarley Zalapski and James Patrick. He played another eight seasons between Chicago and San Jose before hanging it up in 2002.

Growing up, Gary Suter was the answer to a very specific question from my
friends growing up; “Who’s that awesome defenseman for the Flames? You
know, the one that’s not MacInnis?” He was never as flashy and full of
finesse as MacInnis and his shot wasn’t quite as terrifying, but Suter
was a very good defensive defender with a strong shot and a great eye
for the ice. He wasn’t quite as good as Al MacInnis, but he was still pretty damn
good.