Herb Brooks Foundation posthumously honors hockey legend Bob Suter with its 2018 Hall of Fame Award
Blaine, Minn. (August 7, 2018) -- The Herb Brooks Foundation’s (HBF) presented their annual Hall of Fame Award for 2018 to Bob Suter. Suter was a member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice Olympic gold medal-winning hockey team that was coached by Herb Brooks.
The award was presented posthumously. Bob Suter died on September 9, 2014, of a heart attack. He was the first player on the 1980 team to pass away. The team's coach, Herb Brooks, died in an auto accident in August 2003.
Ryan Suter was joined at the award ceremony by Herb Brooks' children, Dan, left and Kelly.
The award was accepted by Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter, Bob’s son.
“My dad is probably upstairs with Herbie right now,” said Ryan Suter. “They’re both probably smiling and wondering what the big deal is.”
“When my dad was alive I really didn’t appreciate all the people he was able to help, and to give a chance to play hockey. And even if they didn’t play hockey to just put on skates and get out and skate. Now that he’s gone I’m finding out all the cool things he did and stood for. His big thing was that it’s all about the kids.”
After winning the gold medal, Bob Suter signed with the Minnesota North Stars in 1981, but retired in 1982 without playing any NHL games.
He returned to Madison after his retirement and opened a sporting goods store called Gold Medal Sports. He also coached youth hockey in Madison after his retirement and became a part-owner and director of Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton, Wis. Ten months after Suter's death the Capitol Ice Arena was renamed in his honor and is now known as "Bob Suter's Capitol Ice Arena."
The award was presented at the annual Herb Brooks Foundation Golf Classic, which was held at Victory Links golf course, on the campus of the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. The Hall of Fame Award honors those individuals who have significantly contributed to growing the game of hockey, the mission of the Herb Brooks Foundation.
Suter's Gold Medal Sports was the hub of youth hockey in the Madison area and was a big contributor to the development of arenas and hockey programs which reached out to players of all skill levels, not just the elite athletes.
Past inductees into the Herb Brooks Foundation Youth Hockey Hall of Fame have been Janet Marvin; Jim McDonough; Cal, Tut and Jack Marvin; Rudy Krampotich; Stan Hubbard and Wes Barette, Larry Hendrickson, Chuck Grillo, Bill Butters, and the Brodt family.
The Herb Brooks Foundation Golf Classic annually draws an illustrious list of Minnesota hockey celebrities. Among those attending this year were 1980 Miracle on Ice team veterans Buzz Schneider and Rob McClanahan; Women’s Olympic gold medalist Dani Cameranesi; Gophers’ head hockey coach Bob Motzko; St. Cloud State head coach Brett Larson; 2017 Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jake Guentzel; current NHL players Anders Lee (New York Islanders), Thomas Vanek (Detroit Red Wings), and Jonny Brodzinski (Los Angeles Kings); retired Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Carter; collegiate players Robbie Stucker and Tyler Nanne (University of Minnesota), Jimmy Schuldt and Joey Molenar (St. Cloud State), and Riley Tufte (Minnesota-Duluth).
Sponsors of the Herb Brooks Foundation Golf Classic were Cambria, Platinum Bank, RJM Construction, Morrie’s Auto Group, RBC Wealth Management, United Properties, Minnesota Wild, and the National Sports Center.
Click here to download and view a Fox9 news story that includes an interview with Ryan Suter.