Flames' Sutter understands well Brady's passionate sibling support of Matthew

Darryl Sutter can certainly appreciate the amount of enthusiasm Brady Tkachuk is putting in to support his brother in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Sutter is, after all, a key cog in what is arguably hockey’s first family. 

The Sutter clan, which boasts Darryl, Brent, Brian, Duane, Ron, and Rich — in addition to a seventh brother, non-NHLer Gary — has a combined 4,994 games, 1,320 goals, 1,614 assists, and 2,934 points in the regular season. 

Collectively, the sextet logged another 603 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with six Stanley Cup Championships to show for their collective efforts from their playing days.  

So when he sees Brady going all in to help cheer on brother Matthew?

He gets it. 

“I don’t think we travelled to do it, but we certainly supported one another,” said Sutter, who has two Stanley Cup rings on his resume as coach of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014. 

“There were a lot of us and we were certainly supportive of our brothers, and that’s what Brady is doing.”

Matthew, of course, is in the second round of the 2022 playoffs with the Calgary Flames, helping lift the team to a 1-0 series lead against the Edmonton Oilers in the first Battle of Alberta in 31 years. 

Brady has been a part of much of the run, debuting in Game 4 of Calgary’s eventual seven-game series win in the opening round of the playoffs against the Dallas Stars. 

He was everywhere for the Flames’ Game 7 win at the Saddledome, tossing out t-shirts in the Red Lot and tossing a child on his shoulders after a thrilling overtime win to set up a date with the Oilers in Round 2. 

Brady was back again in Game 1 for the highest-scoring Battle of Alberta game ever, celebrating hard with a trio of Budweisers — including one in each back pocket. 

“Another good time for him. He’s crushing it right now,” Matthew said after the game.

The Ottawa Senators captain was made available for the festivities after his team failed to qualify for the playoffs. He’s yet to play in the postseason in four seasons with the Senators. 

Still, Sutter gets it. 

But the Sutter brothers’ support hit a little differently back in the day. 

There was no cheering on the others in person. Work on the ice turned to work in the field, instead. No road trips to see siblings fight for Stanley. 

“If you were out [of the playoffs] you were home this weekend to help dad put the crop in, May long,” Sutter started. 

“Everybody always asks, ‘What did you say to your brother when you shook his hand?

“Who’s getting on the tractor Tuesday?”