nivek_wahs
09-28-2007, 09:35 AM
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=bfab5f65-8f6a-47ab-872f-a065dccd38d2&p=2
Sutter enjoys coaching
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, September 28, 2007
Leader-Post
Don't let the NHL pedigree fool you, Brian Sutter is a working-class coach.
His blue-collar mentality is a product of the renowned Sutter work ethic, a trademark of all six NHL-playing brothers. It also applies to the lifestyle choice of the eldest Sutter, who -- after nearly 30 years as an NHL player and coach -- has found fulfillment dividing his time between his cattle ranch near Sylvan Lake and coaching his brother Brent's WHL team in Red Deer.
"It's rather interesting how things turn out," muses Sutter, 50, who leads the Rebels into the Brandt Centre tonight against the Regina Pats. "All those years I played and coached, hockey was a game to me and that's all it was. Farming was my life. Guys in the National Hockey League that I've turned down in the last year or two, they can't understand why I'm doing this, but I have the best of both worlds. I can get off the tractor or horse and be in the office in 15 minutes.
"There's not too many people in life who can say they have a job they really enjoy. I've always had two."
Sutter played 12 seasons in the NHL, all with the St. Louis Blues, before jumping into the coaching ranks with his former club. He served behind the bench for more than 1,000 games in four cities -- St. Louis, Boston, Calgary and Chicago -- before stepping back from the game three years ago.
"If I want to coach in the National Hockey League I can coach in the National Hockey League," he says matter of factly. "It's not something I've said 'no' to but I'd have to go to a place to be with good people and to make a difference."
Sutter has found all those things in Red Deer -- and he didn't have to leave home to do it. The opportunity came up this summer when Brent agreed to become the head coach of the New Jersey Devils and asked his big brother to step behind the Rebels' bench in his place.
Although Sutter has never coached in the junior ranks, he's not going to change his approach to the game.
"Hockey has to be played hard and have some fun and raise a little hell while you're doing it," he explains. "It has never ever changed for me, whether you're playing junior or the (NHL). I was in the National Hockey League from the time I was 19 and I never thought any moment was anything out of this world. I just thought I was pretty lucky to be able to do it and I never took one day for granted."
A similar philosophy helped Brent Sutter go from one of the most-respected players in the NHL to one of the most-respected coaches in junior hockey. His departure was considered a huge blow to the Rebels' franchise -- until they replaced a Sutter with a Sutter.
"I'm not going to compare myself to Brent," insists Brian, who believes work ethic and discipline should be the basic fundamentals of every coaching philosophy. "Are we different? Yeah. We are in some senses because our players are different. Every good coach doesn't coach the game the way he absolutely thinks it should be played. It's like training a horse. You have to work with him and you have to work with his strengths and understand what he's not capable of doing."
Sutter's blue-collar mentality often translates into some unique analogies. It might seem unusual for a coach with his credentials to relate hockey principles to herding cows, driving a tractor or baling hay, but Sutter goes by what he knows.
"I've run around the race track frontwards, backwards, every way you want to run it," he says with a chuckle. "Been there, saw it, done it. I've had to fight the other team's tough guy every night but I also knew we weren't going to win if I didn't shut down the Guy Lafleurs and the Mike Bossys. I also knew were weren't gonna win if I wasn't involved in the offence. Guess what? None of those are any more important than the other. My point is, I tightened my skates up the way every player in the dressing room has tightened them up, so I understand how they feel. I'll never forget that feeling and I respect it."
Sutter's passion for the game is evident when you consider his most-recent coaching gig -- with the Bentley Generals senior team. He guided the collection of farmers, truck drivers and oil-rig hands to the Allan Cup national finals.
"It's coaching and having fun and making people better," he says. "I enjoy doing it. I always have and I always will."
Asked about his new team, Sutter jokes that most of the players haven't learned to shave yet. That's a nice way of saying patience will be a key as he guides the youngest team in the WHL through a 72-game schedule.
"But that doesn't mean I'm not expecting a lot," he cautions. "I coached young teams in the National Hockey League and I know every one of them were teams that everybody hated to play against."
With that, Sutter politely cut the interview short so he could tend to his duties on the field. In hockey, as in farming, you have to make hay when the sun is shining.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007
Sutter enjoys coaching
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Friday, September 28, 2007
Leader-Post
Don't let the NHL pedigree fool you, Brian Sutter is a working-class coach.
His blue-collar mentality is a product of the renowned Sutter work ethic, a trademark of all six NHL-playing brothers. It also applies to the lifestyle choice of the eldest Sutter, who -- after nearly 30 years as an NHL player and coach -- has found fulfillment dividing his time between his cattle ranch near Sylvan Lake and coaching his brother Brent's WHL team in Red Deer.
"It's rather interesting how things turn out," muses Sutter, 50, who leads the Rebels into the Brandt Centre tonight against the Regina Pats. "All those years I played and coached, hockey was a game to me and that's all it was. Farming was my life. Guys in the National Hockey League that I've turned down in the last year or two, they can't understand why I'm doing this, but I have the best of both worlds. I can get off the tractor or horse and be in the office in 15 minutes.
"There's not too many people in life who can say they have a job they really enjoy. I've always had two."
Sutter played 12 seasons in the NHL, all with the St. Louis Blues, before jumping into the coaching ranks with his former club. He served behind the bench for more than 1,000 games in four cities -- St. Louis, Boston, Calgary and Chicago -- before stepping back from the game three years ago.
"If I want to coach in the National Hockey League I can coach in the National Hockey League," he says matter of factly. "It's not something I've said 'no' to but I'd have to go to a place to be with good people and to make a difference."
Sutter has found all those things in Red Deer -- and he didn't have to leave home to do it. The opportunity came up this summer when Brent agreed to become the head coach of the New Jersey Devils and asked his big brother to step behind the Rebels' bench in his place.
Although Sutter has never coached in the junior ranks, he's not going to change his approach to the game.
"Hockey has to be played hard and have some fun and raise a little hell while you're doing it," he explains. "It has never ever changed for me, whether you're playing junior or the (NHL). I was in the National Hockey League from the time I was 19 and I never thought any moment was anything out of this world. I just thought I was pretty lucky to be able to do it and I never took one day for granted."
A similar philosophy helped Brent Sutter go from one of the most-respected players in the NHL to one of the most-respected coaches in junior hockey. His departure was considered a huge blow to the Rebels' franchise -- until they replaced a Sutter with a Sutter.
"I'm not going to compare myself to Brent," insists Brian, who believes work ethic and discipline should be the basic fundamentals of every coaching philosophy. "Are we different? Yeah. We are in some senses because our players are different. Every good coach doesn't coach the game the way he absolutely thinks it should be played. It's like training a horse. You have to work with him and you have to work with his strengths and understand what he's not capable of doing."
Sutter's blue-collar mentality often translates into some unique analogies. It might seem unusual for a coach with his credentials to relate hockey principles to herding cows, driving a tractor or baling hay, but Sutter goes by what he knows.
"I've run around the race track frontwards, backwards, every way you want to run it," he says with a chuckle. "Been there, saw it, done it. I've had to fight the other team's tough guy every night but I also knew we weren't going to win if I didn't shut down the Guy Lafleurs and the Mike Bossys. I also knew were weren't gonna win if I wasn't involved in the offence. Guess what? None of those are any more important than the other. My point is, I tightened my skates up the way every player in the dressing room has tightened them up, so I understand how they feel. I'll never forget that feeling and I respect it."
Sutter's passion for the game is evident when you consider his most-recent coaching gig -- with the Bentley Generals senior team. He guided the collection of farmers, truck drivers and oil-rig hands to the Allan Cup national finals.
"It's coaching and having fun and making people better," he says. "I enjoy doing it. I always have and I always will."
Asked about his new team, Sutter jokes that most of the players haven't learned to shave yet. That's a nice way of saying patience will be a key as he guides the youngest team in the WHL through a 72-game schedule.
"But that doesn't mean I'm not expecting a lot," he cautions. "I coached young teams in the National Hockey League and I know every one of them were teams that everybody hated to play against."
With that, Sutter politely cut the interview short so he could tend to his duties on the field. In hockey, as in farming, you have to make hay when the sun is shining.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007