As a player, Sutter spent five years in the minor leagues, including a year in Japan, where he was named rookie of the year. He stands 5 foot 11 inches and his playing weight was 176 pounds. Sutter was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks at the 1978 NHL Entry Draft in the 11th round, 179th overall. In his NHL career, he suited up only for the Blackhawks and scored 279 points in 406 career regular season games, in addition to 43 points in 51 Stanley Cup playoff games. His last season as a player was in 1986–87.
Coaching career
Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks
Sutter began his coaching career in the International Hockey League, where he coached the Saginaw Hawks and led the Indianapolis Ice to the Turner Cup as League champions. He was the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks for three seasons and also served as Chicago's assistant coach in 1987–88 and as associate coach from 1990 to 1992. He led Chicago to a first-place finish in the Norris Division—and the best record in the Campbell Conference—in 1992–93 with a 47–25–12 record, only to be swept in the opening round by the St. Louis Blues, which featured his brother Rich on the team. In the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season, he led Chicago to the Western Conference Finals. Following the 1994–95 season, he stepped down as coach of the Blackhawks to return home to the family farm in Viking, Alberta. The decision was largely made out of necessity for him to be with his son, Christopher, who has Down syndrome. After a two-year hiatus from coaching, Sutter returned to the NHL in 1997–98 season as head coach of the San Jose Sharks, coaching the team until being relieved of his duties on December 1, 2002, just 24 games into the 2002–03 season.
Calgary Flames
On December 28, 2002, four weeks after he was fired by San Jose, Sutter was named head coach of the Calgary Flames, replacing Greg Gilbert, who had been fired by Calgary on December 3. In April 2003, with Calgary already out of contention of a 2003 playoff spot and then-General Manager Craig Button's contract expiring, the Flames added the title of GM to Sutter's job responsibilities. In the 2003–04 season, his first full season in Calgary, Sutter led the Flames to a 42–30–7–3 record and the organization's first trip to the playoffs in seven seasons. En route to the Stanley Cup Finals, where Calgary ultimately lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Flames defeated three higher-ranked opponents in the Western Conferenceplayoff bracket—the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks. Sutter and the Flames were unable to build upon their surprise success, however, as the entire following season, 2004–05, was cancelled due to a lockout. On July 12, 2006, Sutter stepped down as head coach of the Flames. He has said that he found it difficult to handle the jobs of both head coach and GM of the Flames. Sutter compiled a 107–73–26 record in two-plus seasons behind the Calgary bench. The Flames promoted Jim Playfair as Sutter's replacement, but after a first-round loss to Detroit in 2006–07, Sutter hired Mike Keenan as head coach, with Playfair stepping back into an associate coaching role. Keenan was then fired a month after the Flames were eliminated from the 2008–09 playoffs by Chicago. Brent Sutter, former coach of the New Jersey Devils, was selected as the new Flames coach in June 2009. On December 28, 2010, Sutter resigned as the general manager of the Flames.
Los Angeles Kings
On December 17, 2011, the Los Angeles Kings hired Sutter mid-season as the team's new head coach after the dismissal of Terry Murray. Sutter's first game with the Kings was a December 22, 2011, shootout victory over the rival Anaheim Ducks. He led the Kings to a 25–13–11 mark in 49 games, finished third in the Pacific Division, and entered the 2012 playoffs as the eighth and last seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the team beat the first seed Vancouver Canucks, second seed St. Louis Blues and third seed Phoenix Coyotes to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, the only team to accomplish that feat in the 119-year history of the Finals. The Kings then went on to defeat New Jersey four games to two to give Los Angeles its first Stanley Cup championship in its 45-year history. The Kings set several records during the playoffs, including winning ten-straight games on the road and being the first team to go three games to zero in each of their playoff series. Sutter and the Kings later won another Stanley Cup in the 2013–14 season, playing 26 playoff games, the most ever for a Cup champion. The Kings also became only the fourth team in NHL history to come back from down three games to zero in a series after shocking the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Los Angeles then went on to defeat Anaheim and Chicago, both in seven-game series. On June 13, 2014, the Kings beat the New York Rangers in five games to win their second Stanley Cup in three years. Despite posting a 40–27–15 record in the 2014–15 season, Sutter and the Kings missed the 2015 playoffs by four points, becoming the first team since the 2006–07 Carolina Hurricanes to miss the playoffs entirely after winning the Stanley Cup the previous year, and only the fourth in NHL history. On April 10, 2017, Anschutz Entertainment Group, owner of the Los Angeles Kings, relieved Sutter of his coaching duties after the Kings missed the playoffs for the second season in three years. On June 20, 2018, Darryl Sutter announced his retirement from coaching and returned to life as a full-time rancher.
Anaheim Ducks
On July 3, 2019, the Anaheim Ducks have named Darryl Sutter as advisor to the coaching staff.
Personal life
Sutter and his wife Wanda have three children, Brett, Jessie and Christopher. In addition to his NHL responsibilities, Sutter also owns and maintains a 3,000 acre farm in Viking, Alberta, raising beef cattle. In February 1997, during his hiatus from coaching, Sutter fell from a height of 12 feet while doing repairs on the farm and suffered a skull fracture and a broken shoulder blade.
