Brandon Sutter "improving"

Devils coach Brent Sutter said his son, Brandon, is "improving" after the Carolina Hurricanes rookie center suffered a concussion and lost consciousness on a hit by the Islanders' Doug Weight on Saturday night.

Sutter drove his son to Penn Station in New York this morning to catch a train back to Raleigh, N.C. because he is not allowed to fly so soon after having a concussio. The train left Penn Station at 7 a.m. and is supposed to arrive in Raleigh at 4:30 p.m

Brandon Sutter spent Sunday night at his father's condo in New Jersey after being released from North Shore Hospital on Long Island earlier in the day. Brent Sutter said he spent Saturday night at the hospital with Brandon, who was held overnight in intensive care.

"They monitored him very closely," Brent Sutter said.

Sutter said his son did not recognize him at first.

"He kept asking the (Hurricanes) trainer questions," Sutter said. "He said, 'what was the score tonight? Who did we play?' He slept a little bit and woke up and said, 'Dad! What are you doing here?'"

Sutter said his son's memory improved by Sunday morning, though he still does no remember the hit by Weight or anything that happened after it.

"That's normal for anybody," Sutter said. "Sometimes you get your memory back quicker."

Sutter got word that his son was injured on the bus ride back from Philadelphia on Saturday night. His wife, Connie, watched it live on television from Red Deer, Alberta.

"It was hard on her," Sutter said. "She was watching the game. She was pretty upset about it."

Sutter said his wife planned to go to Raleigh and stay with Brandon for a week. "He can't do much," he said. "He can't drive."

Sutter didn't see a replay of the hit until Sunday. He tried to avoid talking about it.

"I told myself I wouldn't respond when I get asked about it because I'm Brandon's dad and I'm coaching at the same level," he said. "I'll just say a check like that wouldn't have happened 20 years ago."

The longer he spoke the more he said, though.

"In today's game it's considered a clean check, yet it's a check that is also a very dangerous check," Sutter said. "When a player is vulnerable like that, you're putting yourself in a position to injure another player."

Brandon Sutter was leaning forward, trying to handle a puck that had rolled off his stick when Weight hit him.

"Brandon won't do that again," Sutter said. "He's a pretty smart player."

Sutter reiterated that he was uncomfortable talking about the hit because it would be viewed as a father talking about his son being injured, but said, "I know firsthand a check like that wouldn't have happened 20 years ago because you know what the consequences would have been."

Sutter admitted he was "knocked out 10-11, time in my career and I played through it. I'm not saying that's a good thing. That's probably why I'm screwed up now."

Sutter admitted it was fortunate that his son was injured on Long Island, which allowed him to go visit him, but said it would have been better if Brandon wasn't injured at all.

"I wish he could have been on the flight to Montreal with the team and it didn't happen," he said. "But it happened and the Hurricanes did a great job."

Comments

[theking72]

Methinks November 21 may have just become a more interesting game

[Skillet]

Maybe Sutter slips Leblond a couple of Benjamin's so that Leblond can ask Weight If he wants to throw down in fisticuffs and tell him that he has got Jack Johnson and Tom O'Leary waiting for him, right here.

[Pearl Jammed(RJ Arditti)]

Sutter is a professional. i am sure, because these things happen, that he will be more focused on trying to win the game then getting a "fathers revenge" and the kid did have his head down

[Sunny]

As a Carolina fan I appreciate you posting this. Thanks.

[jules]

@Ditti: Agree, Sutter is old school and won't be out to get revenge. Besides, his kid isn't even a Devil. If someone wants revenge, it should be a Cane.

Wish Brandon the best, but I'm sure now that he'll keep his head up.

[Zavior]

He seems like a talented young kid, too bad he got hit like that. At first when I saw the hit, I was upset with Weight becuase I think the hit was unnessecary even though Brandon had his head down. But I guess that is what happens becuase Stevens did the same thing to Lindros, Kozlov and a few others when they had there head down. I think the only thing that makes it different is that when Steven's was on the ice anyone that didn't keep there head up knew they would get decked. Weight on the other hand is not know for his open ice hits.

Either way it is unfortunet for Brandon but hopefully he will recover and learn from this incident. Head injuries are scary things.

Zavior

[Ali-P]

Sorry but Doug Weight isn't a dirty player. I know he is speaking as a father but there was nothing wrong with that check. Brandon will need to keep his head up next time and not make a rookie mistake. If it was scott stevens brandon's career would have been over.

[KNUCKLEPUCKHEAD]

Zavior- My thoughts exactly. Looking at it as one single isolated incident, yes it can be argued that the hit was unnecessary. But there's a lot that goes on in the course of a game, season, career that is outside of the lines. I.E. we probably owe a good portion of those 3 cups to the fact that opposing players had one more thing to think about whenever they were out there Scott Stevens was on the ice. Surely this would have affected their play, and that is the reason why players must play as hard and fast as their ability allows (within the rules of course, which the hit most definitely was)

[Mike redante]

when is sutter going to play gionta with two linemates that will actually help him out offensively??? GIO PARISE and ZAJAC hellllooo....another great players gonna want out if Sutter doesnt start playing him with some compitant offensive minded fowards. Sutters lines suckkkk

[JoeyB]

Weight will feel the devils rath, Brandon is an extended member of the devils family due to his father, like it or not, I hope PL3 knocks his head off.

[Pearl Jammed(RJ Arditti)]

Doug Weight is a a classy individual, i don't think the hit was dirty after seeing it. It was pretty brutal though that i do have to say, but it certainly wasn't dirty.

I wish Brandon a speedy recovery, and hope all is well and his career can get right back on track where it left off, but kid, this is the NHL, YOU GOTTA KEEP YOUR HEAD UP

[Pearl Jammed(RJ Arditti)]

Blondie won't be looking for Weight. Sutter is a Professional. Not just as a coach, but also as a player. These things happen, as ITS PART OF THE GAME. If we go looking for some sort of vengace against someone for something that did not even happen to a Devil, well then Sutter doesn't deserve to be a coach if he is going to take such things personally

[Mike redante]

1. Gionta- Putting Gio with Madden and Pando is a complete waste of a offensive
minded, goal scoring forward, your not utilizing Gio offensive production. Yes
Maddens can score occasionally but he is not a goal scorer ( he has no hands, no
creativety), Pando's a Penalty killer PERIOD. Put Gio with Zajac and Parise and they
will light it up (new NHL SPEEED kills) Langdenbunner is a hrad worker but should be
put with Madden and Pando as a Defensive shut down line. (they will still put up
points tho with madden and langdenbrunner having some offensive).

2. CLARKSON is not a goalscorer nor will he ever be. STOP PUTTING HIM ON THE
POWERPLAY.

3. At the Flyers game Friday we were down a goal or 2 with 6 minutes
left……REGARDLESS we were down… madden pando and gio were out playing a freaking
1-2-2 passive forecheck..are you serious…you obviously have to be aggressive in that
situation with 6 min left and down a goal.

4. POWERPLAY…when Rolston comes back you can not just have a powerplay where guys
are standing around just passing the puck with Rolstons cannon. You need to get a
lot of movement and quick passing to open up a lane for rolstons blast (just watch
the Wilds powerplay last yr) Put him on wing for a one timer if the point shots not
open.

5. Lines- When everyones healthy-- Parise Zajac Gio/ Rolston, Zubrus, Elias
(solves the winger situation as well Rolston and Elias both would ratehr be
wingers), Langdenbrunner, Madden, Pando/ Rupp, Holik, Clarkson

Vrana- fast, creates plays, very smart, little weak in corners, if hes put with
talented scorers hell put up points, I just don’t know where theres room whens
everyones healthy)
Salema- Very creative, fasssst, nice slap shot, bring him back up he should play
point on powerplay with rolston or point on second unit
Greenes playing well , Muatu isnt playing well at all.

[Jeff]

I will not be happy if the Devils go after Weight for a hit on another teams player. We need to take care of our business and the Canes take care of theirs.

[HabsFan]

Just looking at Weight's face after the hit, and you can tell that he was feeling really bad about what happened. Brandon dropped his head ar the last second.

[dannyd]

don't agree with everything you said, mike redante, but the lines look good...although i would like to rotate vrana in now and then somewhere.

[modnarm]

even though i do the same thing.. we post all our rants and what we think should happen .. and.... NOTHING will result from it. The coaching staff won't listen to our genius intuition... changes won't be made bcuz they read what we had to say on this blog. Yet we find some sort of relief when we post stuff like who to play, line combos.. ect.

[mikeK]

This isn't the place for discussion on lines, even though it's the most recent post. Read it. It begs for a debate on the merits of the check.

I think Brent hit the nail on the head. It wouldn't have happened if players were allowed to keep each other responsible. Very interesting quote. I suppose that's a clear sign that he wants to be sure to keep an enforcer type player around. It's also interesting that he didn't call it an unfair check, just said it wouldn't have happened.

TG- What does Brent mean when he says "Screwed up." I've noticed while talking he doesn't seem to fluid, but it doesn't seem too bad. Is that what he was refering to, or is there more to it?

[Kelly]

We should all be thankful that Brandon is okay. There's no need to call for Weight's head. If Doug has any class, I'm sure he would give the Sutter family a call. It wasn't his intention to knock Brandon out. Again, we should all be thankful that Brandon is still walking.

[in lou i trust]

i agree with mike redante almost 100%, maybe the only thing is that I am not sold on samella, yet....those are definitely the top 3 lines I want to see and I'd like to see vrana still on the big team so if he's going to be in the lineup and play decent minutes then having him on the 4th line wouldnt be so bad...sutter always shuffles lines so its not like he would only be on the ice with the 4th line all the time anyway....that means rupp and clarkson can be rotated in and out of the lineup...it provides healthy competition to stay in the lineup and will improve the team...when rupp has a fire lit in him he plays much better and has more of an impact

[Mike redante]

what dont you agree with habsfan

[in lou i trust]

mike redante- i think you mean danny d

[Alexandre]

I just don't get the "it was a clean hit" argument. The guy was knocked out by a kevlar padded shoulder. You think Weight didn't know he was gonna hurt Sutter? I've played hockey as probably most of posters here. And you know when your check's gonna hurt. One guy's gonna die or become paralyzed on the ice thanks to a "clean hit" to do what again? Remember, a check is mostly "to seperate the opponent's body from the puck". That was a check to seperate Sutter from his head.

[Mike redante]

samella yes he has a few turnover and was shaky first couple games but remember JOHNNY ODUYA...id lost a handful of games for us last yr with last minute turnovers...and look at him now...rookies are gonna go thru rough times but in the end samella will help our offense out and be a offensive d-man (what we truely lack)

[Mike redante]

thank you.... danny d what didnt you agree with