The Nashville Predators can add another section to their ever-expanding resume: “Players Who Served as Captains in Olympics.”
Ryan Suter, who was officially named to Team USA on New Year’s Day, has been named an Alternate Captain for the Americans when they skate in the XXI Winter Games.
During a media teleconference today, Team USA General Manager Brian Burke named Jamie Langenbrunner as the Team Captain while Team USA’s head coach Ron Wilson named Dustin Brown, Suter, Zach Parise and Brian Rafalski the Alternate Captains.
Wilson stated that they were originally thinking of three alternates but, after speaking with Predators General Manager and a few others, they ultimately decided on four.
Team USA will rotate two Alternate Captains per game.
Not only is he well known for being responsible in his own end, but Suter’s found a niche for helping out offensively as well. He’s amassed 21 points in 45 games this season for Nashville, good for about a point every other game. Additionally, 10 of those 21 points have come on the power play so look for him to be paired with the puck-moving (and fellow University of Wisconsin alum) Rafalski when Team USA goes on the man advantage in Vancouver.
On January 1, Ryan became the latest in a long line of Suter’s that have worn the red, white and blue on the world’s biggest stage. His father Bob Suter was a member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team and his uncle Gary Suter represented his country twice, once in 1998 in the Nagano games and then again in 2002 in Salt Lake City.
Of the seven Nashville Predators who will be playing for their country in February, Suter is the only one who has been given the honor of serving as an Alternate Captain. Other Preds going to the Winter Games are Roman Josi (Switzerland), Marcel Goc (Germany), Alexander Sulzer (Germany), Martin Erat (Czech Republic), Patric Hornqvist (Sweden) and Shea Weber (Canada).