Suter, who’s in his 13th NHL season, says without hesitation that winning a tournament of this magnitude was more of a thrill than being a part of the Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames in 1988-89. “It was huge—a huge victory for USA Hockey. It’s the biggest win that I’ve had personally in my career,’’ says Suter. “I played on a Stanley Cup-winning team in Calgary but I was out with an injury and wasn’t on the ice so it’s not the same when you’re not part of the mix.’’

Suter, a native of Madison, WI who played his collegiate hockey at the University of Wisconsin, is a veteran of international competition. He wore the red, white and blue of Team USA in the 1987 and 1991 Canada cups, and also competed in the 1985 and 1992 World Championships (he was named co-MVP of the ‘85 Championships). But reaching the finals of this year’s World Cup was arguably a more difficult task—let alone winning it all.

Native teams

The US and Canadian teams weren’t the only teams at the Cup boasting a plethora of NHL players on their rosters. Teams from European hockey hotbeds like Sweden, Russia, the Czech Republic, Finland and Slovakia also featured NHL pros who returned to their native lands to play for their respective national teams. “To be out there and win such an elite tournament like that in Canada against the Canadian team is just, I think, the pinnacle of hockey,’’ says Suter, who represented the Hawks on Team USA along with defensemen Chris Chelios and Keith Carney and winger Tony Amonte.

Amonte scored the winning goal in the championship contest. “It’s as close as it gets to winning the Stanley Cup,” says Suter. “The differences are that the world tournament has probably the best players—it’s actually probably a step up from the NHL as far as talent level, and the Stanley Cup is such a team goal that you build up for it for 11 months. So I don’t think you can compare the two.’’

Suter hopes that Team USA’s triumph in the World Cup will give a boost to hockey around the country. “I hope it takes what the ‘80 Olympic team did, and I hope that it kind of continues in that path,” he says. “Let’s face it: hockey is still a distant cousin to the big sports (like) football, baseball and basketball. So if we can get more people involved in watching hockey and creating more fans, I think that would be something that would be real positive.”

Defensive tips

When Suter first broke into the NHL with the Flames in 1985/86, he was your prototypical offensive defenseman. That year, he had 18 goals and 50 assists, and won NHL Rookie of the Year honors. Two years later, Suter put together a 91-point season (21 goals, 70 assists).

Suter possesses a blistering shot from the point that is deadly accurate. Last season, 12 of his 20 goals were scored on the power play. However, Suter believes he’s made bigger strides improving his defense over the last few years. “I think I’ve probably gotten better defensively,” he says. “Offensively, maybe I don’t get up the ice as much as I used to, but I think I’m more selective and smarter on when to jump (into an offensive rush).”

According to Suter, working with Chelios, who’s been voted the NHL’s best defenseman three times, has helped him learn how to counter opponents’ odd-man advantages more effectively. “I’ve learned a lot defensively just from watching him in practice and getting pointers from him,’’ says Suter, a four-time NHL All-Star. “Just how to play odd-man rushes better: two-on-ones, three-on-ones.”

Handling these odd-man situations successfully is likely the toughest challenge any defenseman—from peewee to pro—faces. Suter provides this quick tip for a defenseman who finds himself trying to thwart a two-on-one or three-on-one break: “Give the shooter to the goalie and try to take away the pass,” he says. “(In a two-on-one situation) make it two-on-two instead of a two-on-one because the goalie is part of your defense. You’ve gotta work with your goalie and try to give up the least dangerous shot.”

But whatever the defensive—or offensive—circumstances, Suter emphasizes that a player will accomplish little without hard work. “I just think it (hard work) goes a long way,” says Suter. “I know it’s been huge in my career. I think every player has to find an edge and make a difference somehow. And if you’re in the best shape possible, you know you’re getting the most out of what your body can do.”