After a remarkable 17-season career in professional hockey, Brett Sutter has officially declared his retirement today. Throughout his journey, he participated in 1,090 American Hockey League matches and 60 National Hockey League regular-season games. Although Sutter has bid farewell to his playing days, he remains a part of the Calgary Flames family, as the team has enlisted him as an assistant coach for the Calgary Wranglers.

After playing for 17 seasons, Sutter expressed his pride and excitement in transitioning to a new role within the Flames organization. While bidding farewell to playing is not simple, he acknowledged how well the game has treated his family and him. However, the chance to remain part of the organization that his family adores makes this transition smoother. Sutter conveyed his gratitude to the Flames for the opportunity.

Sutter expressed his enthusiasm for quickly learning and developing in his new role in professional hockey. He eagerly anticipates the transition while maintaining his leadership in coaching and ultimately assisting the prospects in achieving their aspiration of playing for the Calgary Flames. Sutter extended his gratitude to all those who were part of his playing journey, particularly his family, teammates, and friends who have been truly remarkable.

Sutter takes on a new position alongside head coach Trent Cull and assistant coach Joe Cirella on the Wranglers bench.

Sutter, a native of Viking, AB, was originally drafted by the Flames in the sixth round (179^th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Following a four-year junior career with the Kootenay Ice and Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League, Sutter turned professional with the Flames’ American Hockey League affiliate in Quad City, Illinois in 2007.

Flames Vice-President/Assistant General Manager and Wranglers General Manager Brad Pascall expressed his belief that the combination of Brett’s recent retirement from professional playing and his experience as a captain in the AHL will bring valuable knowledge, relationships, and expertise to the coaching staff. Pascall eagerly anticipates Brett’s ongoing positive influence on the team’s young players, viewing it as an ideal match.

With 1,090 career AHL games to his record, Sutter sits in 4^th place on the All-Time AHL career games played list. He celebrated his 1,000 AHL game on December 21, 2022, in his first season with the Wranglers. Sutter was the eighth player in the league’s 88-year history to reach that milestone. The other seven players are all members of the AHL Hall of Fame.

Throughout his tenure in the AHL, he achieved a total of 198 goals and 265 assists, resulting in an impressive 463 points. Additionally, he accumulated 893 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, he further contributed with 11 goals and 22 assists, amounting to 33 points across 69 games. Remarkably, Sutter served as the captain of his teams for a remarkable 10 years during his notable 17-season career.

Sutter’s other AHL accomplishments include being named the recipient of the AHL’s Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award in 2018-19 as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey and was selected to captain the Western Conference team at the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic.

Sutter began his NHL career on December 23, 2008, as a member of the Flames. Remarkably, he scored his first NHL goal in his very first game. After playing 18 games with the Flames, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on November 17, 2010. Sutter spent five seasons with the Hurricanes before joining the Minnesota Wild as a free agent. However, his time with the Wild was short-lived as he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on February 29, 2016. There, he served as the captain for their AHL team, the Ontario Reign, for five out of his seven seasons. Eventually, Sutter returned to his home province and signed with the Calgary Wranglers for their inaugural season on August 3, 2022. In his final two seasons as a professional hockey player, he proudly captained the Wranglers.

Brett and Erin, along with their three children Olivia (10), Charlotte (8), and Bo (4), are excited to continue residing in Calgary throughout the year.