Sutter, Glencross narrowly avoid cattle scare

A massive Canadian beef recall almost cost former Flames head coach Brent Sutter and current Flames forward Curtis Glencross in a major way.

In addition to their hockey careers, the two are veteran Alberta ranchers (Sutter tends to the family farm in Sylvan Lake, Glencross in Penhold) that deal extensively in the livestock trade.

Both had plenty to lose with a recent oubreak of E. coli that resulted in the largest beef recall in Canadian history but, according to Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun, the pair made out okay.

“I sold all my calves four days before they shut the plant down in Brooks,” said Sutter, who runs a calving operation at his family homestead that has 450 head of cattle.

“That night (the beef scare hit), calves dropped 10 cents per pound. I was lucky.”

Sutter has returned to his general managing duties with the Red Deer Rebels, which he owns — a team off to a slow start despite featuring hotshot Calgary blueliner Mathew Dumba, seventh overall pick of the Minnesota Wild, this summer.

Fellow ranch-hand Curtis Glencross also managed to sell the bulk of his 220 head of cattle in Penhold before the real trouble hit.

In case you’re wondering — no, not everybody in Alberta is involved in the cattle trade. Some deal in horses.