After a 20-year NHL career, former Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter has been named to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026.
Suter will be part of the Induction Celebration on Nov. 30 in Washington, D.C. Other members of the class are siblings Phil and Amanda Kessel, as well as T.J. Oshie and Stan Wong.
“You don’t have to look far in our sport to find someone whose life was touched by one of these five,” said Mike Trimboli, president of USA Hockey. “Their extraordinary contributions will be felt for generations to come, and it is with great pride that we welcome them among the all-time greats of the sport in our country.”
While the boo birds came out often for Suter as a visiting player in Nashville, he’s still one of the best D-men in team history. He sits sixth all-time among Predators defensemen with 238 points in 542 regular-season games.
The Madison, Wisconsin, native was usually paired with former captain Shea Weber until he left for the Minnesota Wild in 2012. He signed a 13-year, $98 million deal along with Zach Parise, hence the booing from Nashville fans.
In 9 seasons with the Wild, Suter played in 656 regular-season games, scoring the second-most points by a defenseman with 369 points.
Suter’s success in Music City
After being selected seventh overall in 2003, the same class as Weber, Suter played one season at the NCAA level for the University of Wisconsin Badgers.
He quickly made an impression with the Milwaukee Admirals in the 2004-05 season and then made his debut the following season.
While in Nashville, Suter helped the franchise get to the postseason six times and was even named an All-Star during the 2011-12 campaign. Suter was part of the first Predators team that made it past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2011.
He may not have been a Norris Trophy-winning D-man for the Predators, but he set the table for multiple years of successful hockey in Nashville.
Suter is now the third member who was part of the Predators organization to be named to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The other two are former General Manager David Poile (2018) and former forward Matt Cullen (2024).
Stops in rival Central Division cities
Suter was a pillar for the Wild in his 9 seasons with his home-state team. In his first year with Minnesota, Suter helped guide the Wild to the playoffs en route to being named an NHL First Team All-Star and a finalist for the Norris Trophy.
After that, Suter picked up two more invites to the NHL All-Star Game and led the Wild to the Stanley Cup Playoffs six more times. He also served as an alternate captain for the entirety of his tenure with Minnesota before moving on to the Dallas Stars.
After his time in Minnesota came to a close, he signed a 4-year, $14 million contract with the Stars. The final year of his deal with the Stars was bought out in 2024 after only putting up 17 points in 82 games.
The final team Suter played for was the St. Louis Blues. He put up 15 points in 82 contests before calling it a career.
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Ryan Suter Earns U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Honor