EVERETT — Riley Sutter was a week old when his father, Ron, played in his 1,000th NHL game in 1999.
The elder Sutter retired following the next season, so Riley doesn’t have any memories of his father’s 19-season career in the league. But Riley, a soon-to-be 16-year-old forward for the Everett Silvertips, has arguably the deepest NHL connections of any player on Everett’s roster.
Ron was the last of six Sutter brothers to retire from the league after a career that included stops with Philadelphia, St. Louis, Quebec, Boston, San Jose, Calgary and the New York Islanders.
Ron’s brothers Brian, Brent, Darryl, Duane and Rich all played in the league, and Darryl is currently the head coach of Los Angeles Kings.
“There are definitely lots of stories (when we get together),” Riley Sutter said. “We all click together pretty quick. It’s good to see them and we always have lots of stories to tell.”
Riley was the Silvertips’ sixth-round pick in the 2014 Bantam Draft and signed his WHL standard player agreement Tuesday. He is the 11th Sutter family member to reach the league across two generations. Cousins Brett, Brandon and Brody all played in the WHL and are current NHL players.
“I was hoping to follow the footsteps of my dad and my cousins,” Riley said.
Despite not being alive for the majority of his father’s career, Riley has nonetheless spent his life immersed in the sport. According to the Silvertips, he’s believed to be one of just three players still at Everett training camp to have immediate family members who played in the NHL.
Third-year forward Matt Fonteyne’s grandfather, Val, played 820 games in the NHL with Detroit, Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers. Cam Dykstra, a 17-year-old defenseman is the son of Steve, who played 217 games with Buffalo, Edmonton, Pittsburgh and Hartford.
“If I see one common thing in all those kids it’s that they like being around the rink,” said Silvertips head coach Kevin Constantine. “That’s probably a commonality and part of their genetics. Plus you see the style of their parents a little bit. You can see the bloodlines, you can see the genetics and you can see the apple not falling that far from the tree.”
Sutter plays with confidence that belies his age. His poise impressed the coaching staff during the first week of camp and Sunday’s Green and Grey Game.
“He’s very comfortable with the puck on his stick,” Constantine said. “He shoots it really well and he distributes it really well. That leads me to believe he’s got a really nice hockey sense thought process on the offensive side of the game.”
Sutter played 36 games last season for the minor midget AAA Rangers of the Calgary Buffalo Hockey Association. He tallied 22 goals and 28 assists, and also had an assist in five games with the AAA midget Calgary Buffaloes.
The Silvertips organization likes the size the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder brings to the team. Sutter does not turn 16 until late October and could add more to his already sizeable frame.
“He’s definitely a power forward at our level because of his size, strength and ability to get around the ice,” Davidson said. “I think he’s got the potential to play at higher levels above us.”
Sutter has a long way to go to reach those levels. But he certainly has some impressive footsteps in which to follow.
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