Ryan Suter

Ryan Suter (born January 21, 1985) is a professional ice hockey player. He currently plays, and serves as an alternate captain, for the Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Personal Life
Bob Suter, Ryan's father, played for the historic, gold medal-winning, 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team, who defeated the Soviet Union in the famous "Miracle On Ice" game.

Ryan's uncle, Gary Suter, was a long-time standout player in the NHL for 17 seasons. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, and the San Jose Sharks throughout his career. He also represented the United States in the 2002 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.

Career
Suter began his hockey career playing for the Madison Capitols. He then went on to play for the Culver Military Academy and the USA Hockey's National Development Team located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Suter was drafted 7th overall by the Nashville Predators.

After being drafted, he played one season with the Wisconsin Badgers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in the NCAA Division I.

He joined the Predators' AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, during their 2004 - 2005 season.

On June 16, 2008, Suter signed a 4-year contract extension with the Predators, which was worth $14 million dollars. The extension began with the start of the 2008 - 2009 season.

Suter played his rookie season in the NHL with the Predators during the 2005 - 2006 season.

International Career
Suter has represented the United States in seven separate tournaments, winning three gold medals.

Suter has said about his international games:


 * "I feel it's an honor to wear the Team USA jersey and every time I'm on the ice, I play my hardest and give everything I have. Playing for Team USA is one of those things you look forward to. When I got the call and was asked to play for this team, it was an easy answer. It didn't matter who was on the team or who the coach was. It's just an honor to wear the jersey and compete for your country."

On January 1, 2010, Ryan, carrying on a family trend, was selected to play for the U.S. Hockey Team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. He served as one of the team's alternate captains.

Career Statistics
(GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in Minutes, " - " = None)