It was just three months ago when Devin Harris held a press conference to announce he would forego his senior season with the Badgers to enter the NBA draft. Yesterday, another Badger, men's hockey defenseman Ryan Suter, announced he has signed a contract with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League. The Predators selected Suter with the seventh overall pick of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
\My family and I have come to a decision to sign with the Nashville Predators this morning,"" Suter said at a news conference yesterday afternoon. ""I'm pretty honored and I look forward to making the next step.""
It was obvious Suter had put a lot of thought into the decision and felt bittersweet about leaving the UW program.
""It's been an unbelievable experience. It's been more than I have ever imagined,"" Suter said. ""I just can't say enough about this place. My teammates I had last year here were just an unbelievable group of guys. I'll miss those guys a lot.""
""The coaching staff last year was unbelievable. Everyone in this university is first class and I'm proud to say that I was able to come here for one year.""
It was also clear the opinion of Suter's close family members played a role in his decision. It was not a decision made solely by Ryan.
""Growing up I always dreamed about playing for the Badgers. But also, every kid dreams of playing in the NHL,"" Suter said. ""It was an opportunity that my family, and I guess me ... we couldn't pass it up.""
Negotiations between the Predators and the Suter family-- mainly Ryan and his father Bob- began early last summer with the Suters originally setting a May 31 deadline to make a decision.
""We wanted to get it out of the way,"" Suter said. ""And obviously it didn't happen this way and now we have to deal with it.""
When Nashville did not offer Suter the contract he was looking for, he began practicing with the team and continued to do so through summer. But things changed when Nashville called last Friday.
It was at that point the Predators finally offered Suter the maximum salary possible for a rookie player, $1.24 million with a $620,000 signing bonus.
The decision becomes even more interesting given the current state of the NHL. It is almost certain that there will be a lockout beginning Sept. 15 as the owners and players continue to disagree on terms to a new collective bargaining agreement. The lockout could force a shortened season, or worse, no season at all. However, Suter will definitely be playing hockey next year. If a lockout should occur, Suter will stay right here in Wisconsin playing for the Milwaukee Admirals.
""There is concern [about the impending lockout], but I know if there is a lockout I'll be in Milwaukee,"" Suter said. ""In that regard I'm kind of looking forward to that in a way too. If there is a lockout I know I'll be all right.""
The late decision came at an inopportune time for the Badger team. After working together throughout the summer, the team had just started small group practices with the coaching staff this week.
""I didn't want to put my teammates in an awkward situation ... the situation that they are in right now,"" Suter said. ""I didn't want it to come down to the wire, but it did and I'm glad with my decision and I'm really honored to have been given that offer that [the Predators] have made.""
Suter's departure leaves the Badgers with a depleted corps of defensemen for the upcoming season. Wisconsin is now left with just seven defensemen on their roster, a big factor considering six of them start each game.
""We're not going to replace Ryan Suter at this point, both on and off the ice for our program,"" Associate Head Coach Troy Ward said. ""But this is a team sport, and there are five guys and a goaltender on the ice and we'll plug away.""
Furthermore, the team is left with just three defensemen who saw significant playing time last season. This means the coaching staff will rely on freshmen blue-liners to step up early.
""We consider ourselves a first-class program and we bring in first-class recruits and from what we've seen this summer, these kids are more than capable of stepping right in and we expect them to,"" junior captain forward Adam Burish said.
Suter becomes the first hockey player to leave the program to join the professional ranks since Dany Heatley in 2001. He will follow in the footsteps of his uncle Gary, who played 17 seasons in the NHL and provided help for Ryan during the decision-making process.
Ward, a former assistant coach in the NHL, made it clear that Suter is ready for the jump to the professional level.
""He's ready in a lot of ways. Whether it's genes or innate ability or a combination of everything, he possesses a lot of things that it takes to play in the National Hockey League,"" Ward said.
Suter, the preseason Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Year, finished with three goals and 16 assists in his one-year career.
