Bob Suter will be remembered as an American hockey hero for his role on the 1980 Olympic team, but his impact on hockey in the United States went far beyond just the Miracle.
In early January, I was traveling on a bus from New York to Boston. During that trip, I was scheduled to have a phone call with Ryan Suter. It was a few weeks before the NHL would take a break in its schedule with the upcoming 2014 Olympics, and Suter was gearing up for the tournament.
Going into the Games in Russia, Suter was considered one of if not the best defenseman on Team USA. He had been putting up historic minutes-per-game numbers in the first half of the season for the Minnesota Wild. There was plenty I was eager to discuss with Ryan. About a week before the call was set to take place, I was also told his father, Bob, would also be on the line.
Conceptually, it made sense. Bob was a member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, one of two United States Olympic hockey teams to have ever won gold for USA. After grabbing silver in 2010, many thought this 2014 USA team could replicate that 1980 result. Ryan was following in Bob's footsteps, so I figured I could ask Bob a few questions, although he wasn't central to my story.
But in the 10 or so minutes we spoke, Bob Suter told me stories about his past, his pride for his country, and how much he enjoyed watching son Ryan play. Bob had plenty of wisdom to pass along.
On Tuesday, Bob Suter died at the age of 57 due to an apparent heart attack, the first member of that 1980 Miracle Team pass away. Since 1980, Suter's passion and dedication to the game of hockey never waned, and he's truly a great American hockey figure to be remembered.
Bob was a hockey deity in his home state of Wisconsin. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, but never a played a game in the NHL. Instead he coached and molded many great, future USA talents. From his Madison Capitols youth program alone came the likes of son Ryan, Phil Kessel, Joe Pavelski, and Brian Rafalski.
His passion for the game was evident in his voice when Bob spoke with me about getting to re-experience some of his glory through son Ryan. The competitiveness came out when he said this 2014 team would settle for nothing less than gold.
While this most recent Olympic team did not medal, Bob got one final chance to see his son Ryan play on the international stage representing his country. As USA Hockey continues to grow its profile and its membership, it was Bob's Miracle Team that put hockey on the map in the US.
Bob provided me a brief glimpse into the honor and intensity that Miracle group holds with respect toward USA Hockey. He spoke of sacrifice, and satisfaction. The honor that comes with donning a USA jersey, and the responsibility that comes with that. It almost seemed like a paternal teaching point in his relationship with Ryan; that he could show his son the importance of that kind and other obligations. Bob Suter spoke of the blood, sweat, and tears that Miracle Team devoted some 34 years ago, and the nirvana of its achievement in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Bob helped to and continued to work toward putting USA Hockey on the map. Part of the lasting memory of Bob should be for his devotion to the sport of hockey, especially with respect to his country.