The Code of the West: Lessons from the Ranch and the Rink

Triple-A premium grass-fed truth from a hockey legend.

No one in hockey has had a career like Darryl Sutter.

Only six coaches in NHL history have records that match Sutter’s, and four of them are in the Hall of Fame. He captained the Chicago Blackhawks as a player, before being forced into early retirement by injuries. He has coached the Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and won two Stanley Cups as coach of the Los Angeles Kings.

But he is better known and even more loved for his reputation—as an advocate of aggressive, hard-nosed hockey, as a no-nonsense farmer who was never softened by the bright lights of fame, as one of six brothers who made it to the NHL, and as perhaps the most entertainingly blunt interviewee in the history of the game, capable of dissolving a scrum of reporters into laughter with a deadpan one-liner. Fans, players, media, and opponents—everyone knows what they are going to get with Darryl Sutter. No bull. Just the stuff that means something.

That’s The Code of the West. The set of rules Sutter not only lived by, but framed and hung in his teams’ dressing rooms. Do these ten things, and you’ll be okay. Better than okay. Do these ten things and you’ll be able to hold your head high. More than a memoir or a catalogue of great hockey stories, The Code of the West lays out what it takes to win, on and off the ice.

DARRYL SUTTER is a coach and former hockey player. He most recently served as head coach of the Calgary Flames. He is one of seven Sutter brothers, six of whom made the NHL (Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, and Ron); all but Brian, Rich, and Gary (the seventh Sutter brother) worked alongside Darryl in some capacity during his first tenure with the Flames. He has captained the Chicago Blackhawks, won over 700 games as a head coach, and won two Stanley Cups.

JUSTIN BOURNE is a former NCAA player and Toronto Marlies coach who signed on with Sportsnet in 2019. Born and raised in the world of hockey, he is known for his keen analytical eye, sharp wit, and ability to explain the game of hockey. Bourne currently hosts Real Kyper & Bourne alongside Stanley Cup champion Nick Kypreos, which broadcasts across Sportsnet’s many platforms. Bourne also regularly appears as an NHL analyst on Sportsnet’s television broadcasts, including Hockey Night in Canada, and contributes NHL content on Sportsnet.ca.