Darryl Sutter

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Sutter's playing career was defined by aggression and resilience. He joined the Lethbridge Broncos of the Western Canadian Hockey League after three seasons with the Red Deer Rustlers, where he led the AJHL in scoring with 133 points in his final junior season. Despite being selected 179th overall in the 1978 NHL entry draft by the Chicago Black Hawks, Sutter initially felt an NHL career was impossible. He briefly played for Iwakura Tomakomai in Japan before returning to North America to join the New Brunswick Hawks of the American Hockey League (AHL). There, he won the 1979–80 Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as rookie of the year with 35 goals and 66 points. Upon reaching the NHL, Sutter became a physical force for Chicago, playing through broken ribs in the 1982–83 playoffs and suffering a separated shoulder from tripping on a coin tossed onto the ice during a series against the Minnesota North Stars. His left eye was once knocked from its socket by a deflected slapshot, yet he returned to play. He finished his career with 406 games played and 51 playoff games, averaging 0.397 goals per game—the highest among all Sutter brothers.

In Their Own Story

The transition from player to coach began immediately after Sutter retired at age 28 following the 1986–87 season. He joined the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant coach under Bob Murdoch for the 1987–88 season before taking his first head coaching job with the Saginaw Hawks of the International Hockey League (IHL). In the 1989–90 season, he led the Indianapolis Ice to a Turner Cup championship and earned the IHL Commissioners' Trophy as coach of the year. His journey back to the NHL as an associate coach under Mike Keenan with Chicago culminated in the 1992 Stanley Cup Final loss to Pittsburgh. This experience paved the way for him to negotiate with the Los Angeles Kings in June 1992 after Keenan stepped down. Decades later, Sutter returned to the NHL scene as head coach of the Kings, guiding them to back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2014, cementing his status as the franchise's winningest coach.

Reader's Guide

Darryl Sutter's tenure with the Los Angeles Kings is defined by two Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014. He served as head coach during these championship runs and holds the record for the most wins in team history. While he previously worked as general manager for the Calgary Flames between 2003 and 2010, his primary role with the Kings was on the bench. His coaching philosophy was built on a foundation of physical play and high work ethic, traits he developed during his own playing days where he suited up for over 400 games despite recurring injuries. Sutter's leadership style is often associated with toughness; as a player, he played through broken ribs and eye injuries, setting an example that translated into his coaching tenure. His return to the NHL in Los Angeles marked a continuation of the family legacy, joining a lineage where six of his seven brothers made it to the league.

Did You Know?

• Darryl Sutter was selected 179th overall in the 1978 NHL entry draft, a position he felt made an NHL career impossible.
• During the 1982–83 playoffs, Sutter played through broken ribs after his team defeated the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota North Stars.
• Sutter tripped on a coin tossed onto the ice during a playoff series against the Minnesota North Stars, resulting in a separated shoulder that required surgery.
• In 1978–79, Sutter played for Iwakura Tomakomai in Japan after being offered CA$13,000 by Broncos co-owner Pat Shimbashi.
• Sutter holds the highest goals-per-game average (0.397) among all six Sutter brothers who played in the NHL.