Brian Sutter
The heart-and-soul leader of the St. Louis Blues in the 1980s, whose relentless style defined the famed Sutter hockey family.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Canadian ice hockey player and coach·Birthday: October 7·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brian Sutter didn't just play hockey; he attacked it with a ferocious, single-minded intensity that became the trademark of an entire family. The eldest of the six Sutter brothers to reach the NHL, he carved out a 12-year career with the St. Louis Blues not on pure skill, but on an unmatched work ethic, physical grit, and a willingness to battle in the corners and in front of the net. He was the team's captain for eight seasons, the emotional engine of a consistently competitive Blues squad. That same fiery persona defined his coaching career, which spanned over a decade behind the benches of four NHL teams. He demanded the same all-out effort he gave, his face often flushed with passion behind the bench. While a Stanley Cup eluded him, his legacy is that of a pure hockey warrior who set the standard for the Sutter name.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brian was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Had his number 11 retired by the St. Louis Blues, the only one of the six NHL-playing Sutter brothers to receive that honor.
- Served as captain of the St. Louis Blues for eight consecutive seasons from 1979 to 1988.
- Won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year in 1991 with the St. Louis Blues.
- Scored 303 goals and 636 points in his NHL career, all with the Blues, including three 30-goal seasons.
Did You Know?
He and his five brothers (Duane, Brent, Rich, Ron, and Darryl) hold the NHL record for most brothers to play in the league.
He once played an entire playoff series with a broken jaw, wearing a full cage shield for protection.
All four of the Sutter brothers who became NHL head coaches (Brian, Darryl, Brent, and Duane) won the Jack Adams Award.
He was a standout junior hockey player for the Lethbridge Broncos, scoring 123 points in his final season before turning pro.
“You don't measure a player's heart by how many goals he scores, but by how many times he gets back up.”
