BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider

MADISON, Wis. — Gary Suter was seven years younger than his brother Bob, so they never got a chance to play together in a meaningful hockey game.

But what if they had?

What if two of the most decorated defensemen in Wisconsin men's hockey history were paired on the same blue line with, say, an Olympic gold medal or an NHL championship ring as the prize?

After all, Bob played for Team USA in the landmark Winter Games in 1980 and Gary won a Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1989.

The concept intrigued Gary even though it was noted that he and his brother were known for their aggressive, rambunctious ways as much as their world-class skill sets.

Bob sits top two at UW with 177 career penalties and is the all-time Wisconsin leader among defensemen with 377 penalty minutes. Gary, meanwhile, established the single-season program mark with 55 penalties.

Gary joked that he and Bob would likely have spent a lot of high-grade family time together in the penalty box, especially during home games at the Dane County Coliseum. That's where their father, Marlowe, was the gate-keeper.

"He used to hand out Milk Duds," Gary said. "He would have run out."

Marlowe believes Bob and Gary would have been a good pairing because "they would have been pretty tough to beat" and because they employed the same styles.

"Kind of slam, bang," their father said.

The notion of Gary and Bob Suter sharing the same big moment will come to life when the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame formally adds 11 honorees on Sept. 8.

Gary will join Bob, inducted posthumously in 2017, as the second set of brothers to be enshrined. They will follow Grant and Ross James, Olympic gold medalists in rowing, who were added to the hall in 2021.

This is the second prominent hall of fame to include Gary and Bob. Gary was added to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, eight years after Bob was enshrined as a member of the "Miracle on Ice" squad that won the Olympic gold medal in 1980.

"Any time you get inducted into a hall of fame it's a pretty good day, so I was really happy to get the news," Gary said of his phone call from UW Director of Athletics Chris McIntosh.

"We're both pretty proud of them for doing that," Marlowe said of he and his wife, Dodie.

Three Suter brothers — John, Bob and Gary — grew up in Madison, played at East High School and skated for the Badgers. John played for UW from 1973 to '78, Bob from '75 to '79 and Gary from 1983 to '85 before turning pro. Bob's son Ryan was raised in Madison and played one season for Wisconsin in 2003-04 before jumping to the pros.

Bob has the most prominent link to the U.S. Olympic men's team among the Suters, but not the only one. Gary played for Team USA in the 1998 and 2002 Games, earning a silver medal in '02. Ryan played for the U.S. in 2010 and '14, securing a silver medal in '10.

Gary said his path to the UW Hall of Fame was paved in large part by Bob, who died in 2014 at the age of 57. Gary said he and Bob were "really close" and talked almost daily right up to that early September day when Bob had a heart attack at the Capitol Ice Arena complex he owned and managed.

"He was a huge part of my life," Gary said. "Growing up, I idolized my two older brothers. They played hockey and they played at Wisconsin and I wanted to follow in their footsteps."

Gary and Bob had similar games, instincts and benchmarks. Both had sturdy frames, although Gary was a bit taller. Both enjoyed controlling and pushing the pace.

"We both loved to join the attack and leading the attack," Gary said. "We were always up ice."

Gary and Bob were fearless and edgy. To wit, they were the first UW brothers to win the Fenton Kelsey Jr./Mike Richter Award, given annually to the most competitive player.

"I think they were both similar," Marlowe said of his sons. "Bob was a little more reckless and got himself into a little more trouble. I think Gary maybe learned from watching Bob and seeing that he just couldn't do all the stuff that (Bob) did."

Gary said Bob was better suited to be paired with brother John, who was known as a stay-at-home defenseman. By the same token, Gary said he would have loved to play alongside Ryan, whose steadiness has enabled him to play in the NHL for 17 seasons.

UW men's coach Tony Granato played with Gary in college and in the NHL and said he saw Bob play in person a handful of times. Granato said Bob was "tough as could be" and "someone you wouldn't want to play against." The big difference between the brothers, according to Granato, is that Gary was a "more polished offensive player."

Gary and Bob were both late-round NHL draft picks — Gary to Calgary in the ninth round in 1984 after Bob went to Los Angeles in the seventh round in 1977 — which is where their paths diverged.

After winning an NCAA championship ring with the Badgers in 1977 and following it up with Olympic gold, Bob played in the minors, but never reached the NHL. He opened his own hockey retail store called "Gold Medal Sports" and later built Capitol Ice Arena and paved the way for thousands of local kids to embrace the sport.

Gary, meanwhile, not only turned pro after his sophomore season, he blossomed immediately thanks in part to a fellow UW Hall of Famer.

Bob Johnson, who coached the Badgers to three national titles, moved to the NHL with Calgary after the 1982-83 college season. He signed Suter and watched him become the first American to win the Calder Trophy as the top rookie in 1986.

"Part of me wishes I could have played at Wisconsin for four years and obviously be on a national championship team," Gary said.

But after averaging nearly a point a game through two seasons with the Badgers, Gary said the decision to turn pro was supported by his production (18 goals, 50 assists, 68 points in 80 games) and the Calder voters.

"When you leave school early, you're always wondering if you made the right decision," he said. "Can you make the jump? That validated that I was ready."

Gary played 17 seasons in the NHL with the Flames, Chicago and San Jose, taking part in four all-star games and totaling 203 goals and 845 points in 1,145 outings.

Gary and Granato were in the same UW recruiting class and a strong friendship ensued even though Granato stayed with the Badgers through his senior season in 1986-87. Curiously, their playing careers ended in San Jose, where they were neighbors and roommates on road trips with the Sharks.

"The ultimate teammate," Granato said of Suter. "Everything he did was the way a player or a teammate was supposed to act, play, talk."

Another curiosity: Any reputable list of impactful Wisconsin hockey families will have the Suters and Granatos (Tony, Don, Rob and Kevin) right near the top along with the Johnsons (Bob, Mark, Peter, Patrick and Mikayla).

Tony said Gary's hall of fame induction is welcome in part because it shines a spotlight on the entire Suter family.

"It's pretty impressive what the Suter family has meant to Wisconsin hockey," Granato said. "Not just Badger hockey. How many kids are lucky enough to play hockey because of the Suters?"

What is the Suter legacy?

"A blue-collar family from the East Side of Madison getting a chance to go to Wisconsin and play," Gary said. "I'm really proud of the accomplishments the Suter family had at Wisconsin. We're proud of what we did at Wisconsin and the careers we had. We're proud to be Badgers."