Maven's Memories: Brent Sutter, The Latest Isles Hall of Famer

The fact that Brent Sutter will be inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame should come as no surprise to anyone.

I watched Duane's kid brother from his initial arrival in Uniondale and throughout his National Hockey League career.

In that sense, you might say that I'm not entirely impartial. After all, my commentaries on SportsChannel -- later MSG Networks -- inevitably had me leaning in favor of the Viking, Alberta native.

To put it simply, I liked the way Brent played the game of hockey. So did more objective viewers than The Maven.

A commentary from a totally respected Canadian historian would be the best way to introduce this tribute.

Arguably the best "Who's Who In Hockey" ever produced was written by Andrew Podnieks. The title is "Players -- The Ultimate A-Z Guide Of Everyone Who Has Ever Played In The NHL."

It has 5,600 entries and covers 959 pages. Here's a capsule excerpt of the Brent Sutter review: "He hated to lose. He worked hard for every shift and for every inch of the ice. He was tough and skilled and he had his feet solidly on the ground. He would play through pain that would hospitalize most men."

A first round Draft pick in 1980, Brent followed in Duane's skate steps but his debut was not immediate. After starring for his Red Deer Junior team, Brent had an inauspicious debut at the isles camp as an 18-year-old.

Awestruck by the likes of such future Hall of Famers as Denis Potvin, Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier and Clark Gillies -- just to name a few -- he climbed on the training camp examination table and proceeded to throw up all over the floor.

"I just lost it," Brent said in retrospect, "but the guys thought it was hilarious."

The real, winning hilarity would come later. He had a three-game audition with the Nassaumen in 1980-81 and the arithmetic was good; two goals, two assists -- four points.

"Of course we liked his future," said GM Bow Tie Bill Torrey, "but we felt that another year or so in Juniors would be better all around."

Well, it certainly didn't hurt and half way through the 1981-82 campaign, the younger Sutter was promoted for good. Whether it was coincidence or not can be debated 'til the cows come home, but one thing is certain, once Brent donned the Orange and Blue the team went on a tear.

"We won 15 games in a row," recalled chief scout and Torrey's right-hand man, Jim Devellano, "and Brent proved that he was a major leaguer through and through."

For a rookie to tally 43 points in 43 games is about as much as one could ask; especially since he was playing alongside a corps that already had won two Stanley Cups and was hellbent for more. Surely, Head Coach Al Arbour was impressed.

"In our business," Arbour explained, "you never know how a young player would react once we got to the playoffs. But I had no hesitation about Brent once we got to the postseason. I used him in 19 playoff games."

Arbour had no hesitation about employing his young star in a variety of situations but the beauty part was when Brent was aligned with Brother Duane.

"One of the lines Radar put me on was with Dog and Clark Gillies," Brent remembered. "He gave us plenty of ice; all we could have asked for as a matter of fact, but it wasn't without an occasional pothole."

In Dean Spiros' biography of the Sutter Brothers, Six Shooters, Brent recalled his first-round playoff blunder.

"I'll never forget it," he told Spiros. "It happened in the second game of the series. Rob McClanahan took the puck from me when I tried to beat him one-on-one. And he went right in and scored.

"I went to the bench for what seemed like forever. It was a hell of a learning experience for me. It made me put things in proper perspective. I was a little too cocky; I was taking the success I had for granted."

Instead of resenting Arbour's decision to bench him, Brent took it as a positive – albeit painful -- chapter in his young major league life.

Brent: "I looked around the dressing room and realized that I was surrounded by a bunch of guys whose sole purpose was to win a third straight Stanley Cup. It was a big thrill just to be a part of that.

"I decided that as long as I was in uniform, I would do whatever was asked of me. I had to work my rear end off just to get another chance."

Having Duane as a teammate provided added motivation; not that it was necessary. As Flyers coach Bob McCammon explained, "Put those Sutter’s together and they don't weigh 200 pounds. They just play like they think they do."

There was no question that -- month by month -- the veteran Islanders such as Gillies grew to appreciate, and joke about, the Sutter’s. Gillies enjoyed great success when he wound up being on a line with Brent and Duane.

With typical Jethroe humor, Clark opined, "You mean I've got to change my name to C. Sutter? No, thanks."

Or, Atlanta toughie Willi Plett: "I don't know who they are or which is which, so how can I hit them. They're half my size and they're all over the place."

Or, Flyers defenseman Joe Watson: "Those two Sutter’s are small until they start measuring heart!"

When Brent and Duane played against the Flyers' twins, Ron and Rich Sutter, their parents were at the game. Their dad, Louis Sutter, was approached about what he thought about the expected outcome.

Dad Sutter thought for a moment and then exclaimed, "I pray for a tie!"

Nobody was happier about having Brent on his line than Duane. After playing brother-less on the first two Cup teams, Duane now had Brent side by side as the Isles aimed for a dynastic third consecutive triumph for Stanley.

"We were always a confident group," asserted Duane, "and even more so as Brent showed what he could do. By the way, it was a whole heck of a lot."

In order to reach the 1982 Cup, the Islanders had to go through the Rangers in a torrid six-game division finals before wiping out the Quebec Nordiques in four straight.

Duane Sutter: "A big part of that Stanley Cup run was that Brent was with me; finally. Winning the first couple of Cups was tremendous and don't get me wrong on that. But to win the 1982 Cup with my brother; that was even more special. We took the Canucks in four straight but the last two games were in Vancouver. That meant that our parents were able to come over and watch me and Brent. So, they saw two of their kids take it all and that had special meaning."

Ironically, Brent did not improve his game as the 1982-83 season unfolded. He later would admit that he had put too much pressure on himself and said, "That was the worst thing I could have done."

Both Bow Tie Bill and Radar were acutely aware of Brent being overbearing with Brent. The high command maintained their faith in the younger Sutter and by the time the 1982-83 season had ended, Brent had regained his confidence. Meanwhile, Arbour constructed an all-Western Canadian line and it paid rich dividends.

As I remember it, the line -- centered by Brent -- with Duane on one wing and Bob Bourne on the other -- was as good for its time as Trio Grande and any unit with the enormously talented Butch Goring as pivot. Brent put it this way with Dean Spiros in Six Shooters:

"Playing on a line with Duane and Bobby, we had one hell of a playoff series. We played a lot and were counted on in key situations. Playing on a team with people like Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy, Bourney, Dog and I found ourselves in a position we hadn't been in too many times.

"It was a proud moment for all three of us to come through for the team like that. I was taking key faceoffs and playing on the power play. I was on the ice when things got tight, in situations Trots had always been called on to handle before. All that time I had spent watching him had paid off."

Brent had done basic training and focused all his concentration on Goring and Trottier to improve his game; and he never stopped learning.

"I knew that if I wanted to work the power play I would have to watch Trots. If I was going to kill penalties I knew I had to watch Butch. They both were extremely helpful, but the best lessons I could have learned were simply to watch them.

"Winning that fourth Cup -- beating Edmonton in four straight -- and playing a major role in our success gave me a tremendous boost of confidence. I had reached a level that I had strived for and I sure felt like a useful big-leaguer!"

And that helps explain why Brent Sutter is being welcomed into the Islanders Hall of Fame!