INNISFAIL - The town will join the rest of Alberta in celebrating the 2017 Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame (AHHF) inductees.
Hockey Alberta and the Hockey Alberta Foundation recently announced the 2017 induction class. This year six Alberta hockey legends will be recognized for their contributions to the sport.
The Sutter family from Viking among them.
"It's a tremendous honour," said Brian Sutter, head coach of the Innisfail Eagles. "It's not an honour for myself. It's an honour for my dad and mom, my older brother and all the rest of us guys. It's pretty special."
Louis and Grace Sutter raised their family of seven boys - Gary, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Brent, Rich and Ron on a farm near Viking. All of them began their minor hockey days in Viking and continued on, playing junior hockey in Red Deer. Gary ended his hockey career after playing in the junior ranks to work on the family farm.
Six brothers played in the National Hockey League, while four of them became coaches and/or general managers.
The Sutter family will join five other outstanding individuals also being inducted, including Melody Davidson, Glen Sather, Bill Hay, Anthony Kollman and Perry Pearn at the AHHF Awards Gala in Canmore in July.
"It means even more this year because of the people that are going in," said Sutter, noting special people he and his brothers looked up to. "There was only two people from where we came from that were good, professional players. One was Ross Perkins and one was Glen Sather," he said.
"There's a lot of other special people that are going in (to the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame)," said Sutter, noting the honour it was to be inducted with this group of people.
The Sutter family's induction is as much for him and the family as it is for the people that made a difference in their lives growing up.
"It's just not for us. It's all the people that influenced us," said Sutter. "The people you're around that are important in life."
The Sutter family will be inducted into the AHHF in a ceremony on July 23 at the Coast Hotel in Canmore.
Brian Sutter, head coach of Innisfail Eagles
"It's a tremendous honour. It's not an honour for myself. It's an honour for my dad and mom, my older brother and all the rest of us guys. It's pretty special."
