At 17, Brent Sutter saw junior hockey mostly as a stepping stone, a way station to the next level, the NHL, where three of his older brothers were already playing. Brent would eventually follow in their footsteps, and won two Stanley Cups playing alongside his brother Duane with the New York Islanders as part of an 18-year, 1,111-game NHL career.
The one thing the teenage Sutter could not have imagined was how soon after his NHL days were over, his hockey journey would come full circle, right back to Red Deer, where it all began.
"I came home to ranch," Sutter explained. "I was ready to step away from the game for a bit. I had little kids. When you have a family, you want to get them back home."
Sutter owns and operates the Red Deer Rebels, the host team of the 2016 Memorial Cup, one of a handful of junior hockey "lifers" involved in the annual tournament. Also qualifying for this year's event were the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings, the OHL's London Knights and the QMJHL's Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. The Memorial Cup opens Friday night.
Brandon is run by Kelly McCrimmon who, like Sutter, wears three hats for the Wheat Kings: Owner, general manager and coach. Brandon advanced by defeating the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL final. Seattle is run by Russ Farwell, the former Philadelphia Flyers general manager who made the seminal Eric Lindros trade in 1992. Soon after Farwell was fired by the Flyers, he returned to Seattle, where he has managed the Thunderbirds for the past 21 years.
London is home to the Hunter brothers, Mark having joined the Toronto Maple Leafs front office last summer, Dale still behind the bench after leaving briefly to coach the Washington Capitals. McCrimmon, who played with his brother Brad for the Wheat Kings more than 35 years ago, also had a chance to join the Leafs' staff last summer, but opted to stay in Brandon, partly because he knew he had a Memorial Cup contender.
All have their roots deeply embedded in junior hockey, although, in Sutter's case, it came about rather by accident.
Soon after retiring from the NHL in 1998 and returning to central Alberta, Sutter got a call from an old friend, Terry Simpson, who owned the Rebels then. Simpson asked him to help out with the team, coaching part-time and Sutter said yes, figuring he had enough time to juggle his ranching commitments with a little hockey thrown into the mix.
Later that season, Simpson upped the ante. The two were driving to Lethbridge for the league's all-star game when Simpson had another question for Sutter: Would he be interested in buying the team from him and his brother Wayne?
"Next thing you know, I was sitting down with accountants and lawyers," Sutter said. "It was a big step for me because I couldn't swing it financially myself. I didn't make the big money that players are making today. So I was able to work it out and get some financial help through the banks. And I threw myself into it.
"My last two years of playing in Chicago, I was hurt quite a bit, so I learned a lot from Mr. [Bob] Pulford and Mr. [William] Wirtz. You use all the experience you gather – 10 years of having Al Arbour as a coach – and you just run with it and learn as you go.
"But it's crazy how I ended up coaching the team. It was because I couldn't afford to hire a coach or a GM."
Junior hockey has become big business since then. The Rebels ultimately won the 2001 Memorial Cup in Sutter's third year of ownership. In 2007, he left for a time and spent five years coaching in the NHL – two with the New Jersey Devils and three with the Calgary Flames.
Life in the NHL is a succession of chartered flights, five-star hotels and mostly sold-out arenas. It's the glitz and glamour of Manhattan, Chicago, downtown Los Angeles. Junior is, by contrast, a far more modest experience.
Recently, when Red Deer played Brandon in the WHL's Eastern Division final, it was a 101/2-hour bus ride back and forth between cities.
Once you get to a certain age, don't those long bus rides cause additional strain on the body?
"At times, it can wear on you," Sutter answered, "but you know what? You get past that and after a while you don't think about it. I'll say this: It certainly feels a lot longer after a loss – but that's the same as in the NHL after a loss, when you're on a chartered plane. The only difference is you get to where you're going quicker."
Now 53, Sutter says juggling three positions – owner, general manager and coach – can be challenging. It was especially difficult for him this year, knowing Red Deer would the Memorial Cup, which involved a lot of preparation, both on and off the ice.
"When you do all three jobs, you have to be three different people," Sutter said. "As an owner, you have to evaluate everything, beginning with the work of your general manager. Are you happy with him? Then as the general manager, you have to evaluate the work of the coach.
"To me, you can't be the owner, the GM and the coach, without being honest in all areas of your operation. If you think you're not doing the proper job in one, then you have to step away from it. If you don't, then you're cheating the people around you."
Years ago, one of those evaluations convinced Sutter that he needed to fire his older brother Brian as the team's coach.
"That was a tough thing," Sutter said. "My expectations in what I wanted from a coach were different from what Brian could provide, because of his commitment to his ranch. It was hard on Brian, too, but you have to do what's right for your players.
"Coaching at this level is no different than coaching pro. You have to spend time at it."
Sutter now has his son Merrick and his nephew Shaun working with him, Merrick in the business operations, Shaun (Brian's son) as the team's assistant general manager.
He likes having them there because they can provide fresh ideas from a younger perspective.
"I always tell them, 'guys, let's not be afraid to try new stuff, whether it's on the marketing side or the ticketing side or our game-night experiences. If it doesn't work now, it might work four years from now.'
"People talk about analytics. Well, we've formed our own analytics program here. It's all about how the game has evolved over time, the way video has evolved. I'm somewhat old school, but I also understand, if you want to stay competitive, you've got to advance, too."
Nowadays, Sutter says he gains the most satisfaction out of providing life lessons for the players passing through his program, knowing only a small percentage will eventually go on to have NHL careers.
"The day they get dropped off at your door, there's a big responsibility put on your shoulders," he said. "You're like their guardians. It's not just about hockey. It's also about education – making sure they graduate, making sure they get good grades in school. Getting them involved in the community and understanding why that's important – it's all those things.
"The satisfaction and reward comes when they're leaving. Did they grow as people? Were you able to put them on a path that allows them to have success, whether it's in hockey or the business world? Whatever they become – doctors, lawyers, carpenters – did they understand the time and effort and commitment it takes to be successful?"