Darryl Sutter
A gruff, no-nonsense hockey patriarch whose coaching philosophy was built on family, accountability, and relentless work.
Born 1958 (age 68)·Canadian ice hockey player and coach·Birthday: August 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Darryl Sutter emerged from Viking, Alberta, as part of a hockey dynasty, one of six brothers to play in the NHL. His playing career as a hard-nosed winger was solid, but his legacy was forged behind the bench. His coaching style, a direct reflection of his farm-strong upbringing, demanded maximum effort and defensive responsibility. This approach found its ultimate expression with the Los Angeles Kings, where he guided a physically imposing team to two Stanley Cup championships, transforming a perennial underachiever into a powerhouse. His career, marked by stops in Chicago, San Jose, Calgary, and Los Angeles, is a testament to a singular, uncompromising vision of how hockey should be played.
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.
Darryl was born in 1958, 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 Darryl Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Darryl's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
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
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Stanley Cup twice as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, in 2012 and 2014.
- Led the Kings to their first championship in franchise history in 2012.
- Coached over 1,300 regular season games in the NHL across four different teams.
- Was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year on multiple occasions.
- Part of the famous Sutter family, with six brothers playing in the NHL and several involved in coaching and management.
Did You Know?
He and his brothers grew up on a cattle farm in Alberta, an upbringing often cited as the source of his work ethic.
He scored the first goal in New Jersey Devils franchise history while playing for the Kansas City Scouts, the team that later became the Devils.
After his first retirement from coaching, he returned to full-time ranching in Alberta.
“You don't get to pick your nickname, and mine is not a term of endearment.”
