Watch: Gary Suter, Ryan Suter participate in ceremonial faceoff

Ryan Suter and his uncle, Gary Suter, participated in a ceremonial faceoff before Saturday’s Wild-Sharks game.

When it comes to great American hockey families, there might be none greater than the Suters.

Ryan Suter, the star defenseman of the Minnesota Wild, represents the current generation of Suters. His late father, Bob, won a gold medal with the legendary “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic team at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Bob’s brother, Ryan’s uncle, Gary Suter, was a stud defenseman who played in the NHL from 1985–2002 and won a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989.

The last three seasons of Gary Suter’s NHL career were spent with the San Jose Sharks, who honored him on Saturday as part of the team’s year-long celebration of the team’s 25th anniversary season.

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Gary Suter dropped the ceremonial opening faceoff before the Sharks’ game against his nephew’s Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Appropriately, Ryan Suter was there to take the ceremonial faceoff, dropped by his uncle.

Cool moment as Gary Suter, @rsuter20's uncle, participated in a ceremonial puck drop before #MINvsSJS. pic.twitter.com/mXEe3OhbSJ

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 23, 2016

San Jose went on to beat Minnesota 4–3 on a late goal by Joe Pavelski.