Gary Suter was born and raised in Madison, where he played for the Madison Lakers through Peewees, and for the Madison Capitols as a Bantam.  He played three years for Culver Military Academy in Culver, Ind., leading them to three High School Hockey Championships, and was chosen MVP in 1982.  After one year of Junior A hockey in Dubuque, Suter played two years at the University of Wisconsin, prior to being drafted by the Calgary Flames.  As a Badger, in the 1984-85 season, Suter won the Carlson Award as MVP, the Kelsey Award as most competitive player and the Coyne Award for most consistent player.

 

Suter began his NHL career in 1986 with the Calgary Flames where he set numerous team and NHL records.  As a rookie, he finished second among all NHL rookies with 68 points and won the Calder Trophy for NHL Rookie of the Year.  He was also named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, and the Sporting News All-Star First Team.

 

            In 1987-88, Suter led all NHL defensemen with 91 points and set the Calgary single-season record for points by a defenseman and assists by a defenseman.  As well as leading the team in many scoring categories while with Calgary, he played in four NHL All-Star Games, and was a member of the team that won the Stanley Cup in 1988-89.

 

            In four years with the Chicago Blackhawks, Suter once again led the team in many scoring categories, and was tied for the lead among all NHL defensemen with 20 goals and tied for the lead in power-play goals with 12, and shorthanded goals with two.  He led all NHL defensemen with four game-winning goals and he led the team with 242 shots on goal.  He played in 259 consecutive games and played in the 1996 NHL All-Star Game.

 

            In 1968, Suter was traded to San Jose where he played for four years.  He led San Jose with 102 blocked shots in the 1999-2000 season and, in that season, was San Jose’s nominee for the Masterton Trophy.  The following year, he led all San Jose defensemen with 10 goals, and, in 2001-2002, he won the San Jose Ironman Award.  Suter retired from the NHL in 2002.

 

            While still playing in the NHL, and continuing to this time, Suter began running hockey camps for youth players in Minocqua and Madison.  He has worked with youngsters from Mite-age through high school.  Prior to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Suter carried the Olympic torch in its journey to the Games.  Over the years, he has participated in numerous celebrity golfing and fishing events and was involved in many charities during his NHL career.

 

            Suter and his wife Kathy have two sons, Jacob and Jared, and reside in Lac du Flambeau, where he is an avid hunter and fisherman.  They spend much of the year in Madison where he coaches youth hockey.