The Road Not Taken is one of Robert Frost’s most famous pieces of literature. The poem describes a situation where there is a fork in the road, and there is a choice to make. To take the route most people take or the road less traveled.
This is a common adage for individuals who have had an unusual path, for one Wheeling Nailer, that was the case.
Aidan Sutter started his junior hockey career playing for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Sutter would only play in eight games during his age-15 season. He would accumulate a single point that season for the Silverbacks. This would be Sutter’s only season playing in the BCHL.
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Slap Shots
Name: Aiden Sutter Position: Defenseman Career games: 18
Points: 1 Favorite Video Game: Black Ops 6
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Sutter would sign as an undrafted player to the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Everett Silvertips before the 2019-2020 season. At just 16 years old, Sutter would play 42 games for the Silvertips in his first season. He would finish with a goal and an assist on the season with a plus-four rating. The Silvertips would finish in second place in the U.S. Division by just one point to the Portland Winterhawks.
The WHL and all the CHL playoffs were canceled that season due to the COVID-19 Virus.
The 2020-2021 season saw a shortened schedule and no playoffs in the WHL season. Sutter would play in 21 of the Silvertip’s 23 games that season. His stats would slightly ramp up, too. This time, knotting six assists on the season and a plus-nine rating. Everett would win the U.S. Division by nine points.
The 2021-2022 season saw all of hockey return to normal. Sutter would continue to grow as a player. He finished with a then-high with four goals and ten assists for the season. Sutter suited in 58 games that season and finished with a career-high plus-20 rating, which was third-best on the Silvertips for defensemen. Everett would win their third-straight U.S. Division title and make the WHL’s playoffs.
The Silvertips would get upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Vancouver Giants in six games. Sutter played in all the playoff games for the Silvertips, having two assists.
The next season would be Sutter’s last season playing major junior hockey. He would go out with a bang. Finishing with career highs across the board, Sutter played in 62 games, netting six goals while scraping together 32 assists. His 38 points would have him finish as the fifth-leading scorer for Everett while leading all defensemen in scoring, too.
The Silvertips would finish one game above .500 and sneak into the playoffs. They would have a tough draw as they had to take on the Portland Winterhawks. The Winterhawks were led by current Wheeling Nailer and Sutter’s teammate, Gabe Klassen. Everett would put up a solid fight, but their season would end in the first round in five games.
Sutter again played in all playoff games for the Silvertips. He finished with four postseason assists.
During the summer of 2023, Sutter would decide to turn pro. He would sign with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. Sutter would play his pro debut on November 4, 2023, for Florida in a game against the Orlando Solarbears. Sutter would only play six games for the Everblades finishing with a plus-one rating. He would be traded to the Wheeling Nailers on December 27th, 2023.
Sutter decided not to report to Wheeling, taking an “untraditional” route of going to school. The Nailers suspended him to maintain his playing rights after his non-reporting.
The CHL offers all its players a college education, and Sutter took them up on the offer as he attended the University of Calgary. He would also play hockey for the Dinos in just 10 games over two seasons.
“Scholarship money. I didn’t want to lose it; my parents worked hard to put me through hockey and everything, which was kind of their reward. They pay for anything else up to that point. So, once I discovered that I could come here and still have the school, that was the turning point,” said Sutter when asked why he went to school rather than reporting to Wheeling initially.
In January of 2025, Sutter would return to professional hockey, signing with the Nailers, the team traded for him the previous season. Sutter has played in 12 games for Wheeling this season. In one of the Nailers’ most recent homestands, he notched his first pro point against the Tulsa Oilers earlier this season.
“It was pretty cool. I think it was a little bit cooler that (Eli) Lieffers got his first goal. It kind of connects both of our first pro points there, and it was a special moment for both of us and to get the win in that game, too, was even better,” Sutter mentioned about his first pro point.
The Wheeling Nailers are back on home ice this weekend for another three games in three days. On Friday, they face the Fort Wayne Komets at 7:10 p.m. for a “Frosty Friday” event featuring two-dollar select canned beers. On Saturday, also against the Komets at 7:10 p.m., the team celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a special guest appearance by former Pittsburgh Penguin Tyler Kennedy, who will sign autographs before the game.
The Nailers will wear specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off throughout the night, with drink specials available across the arena, including green beer. Additionally, fans will receive a St. Patrick’s-themed Nailer hat upon entering the arena. To wrap up the weekend on Sunday against the Cincinnati Cyclones at 4:10 p.m., it’s Faith and Family Night, featuring a pre-game celebration of faith with some of the players and staff.
After the game, fans can enjoy a postgame skate with players wearing even-numbered jerseys. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 304-234-GOAL or visit www.wheelingnailers.com.
The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Upper Ohio Valley.
