C. J. Suess

Clinston Joseph Robert "C.J." Suess (; He began skating at the age four in White Bear Lake, Minnesota with his cousins before his family moved to Forest Lake, Minnesota. His mother was his primary caregiver and he considers both her and his grandmother the "two people that have meant more to him than anyone else in the world." As a person of color himself, Suess admired hockey player Jarome Iginla as a successful black athlete.

Playing career Amateur Suess attended Forest Lake Area High School where he played ice hockey under the tutelage of former Minnesota State defenseman Aaron Forsythe. In his sophomore season, Suess scored 19 goals and 21 assists in 27 games, ranking as the second-leading scorer on the team. With his assistance, the team finished second to Cretin-Derham Hall High School in the Suburban East Conference and defeated Grand Rapids before falling to Elk River in the Section 7AA semi-finals.

While playing for the men's ice hockey team, Suess also competed on their baseball team. He helped them qualify for the 2010 state tournament but broke his ankle during his junior year. In June 2012, Suess attended the tryout camp for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League (USHL). After qualifying for the team, he led the Stampede with 32 goals and 28 assists in 63 regular season games. Upon returning from the tournament, Suess signed a Letter of Intent to attend Minnesota State University, Mankato, an NCAA Division I school. By mid-season, he had recorded 16 goals and 25 assists in 41 games and was selected for the USHL Western Conference All-Star Second Team. With his help, the Stampede finished fourth in the Western Conference and qualified for the USHL playoffs before being swept by the Waterloo Black Hawks. Suess played the majority of the season on the top line with juniors Teodors Bļugers and Bryce Gervais. He later recorded the game-winning goal in the team's North Star College Cup 4–5 overtime win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. At the conclusion of the season, Suess was selected for the 2014–15 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) All-Rookie Team.

During his sophomore season, Suess switched from left wing, a position he had spent his entire hockey career playing, to center due to a slow start. When speaking of his decision, he said: "I think I switched mainly so I could get speed coming through the zone and attacking from the middle...I did go through a slump earlier this year but then we made the switch and it's helped a lot I think." After making the change, Suess finished third on the season in scoring and second in goals with 14.

Prior to his junior year, Suess was named co-captain of the Mavericks alongside senior defenseman Carter Foguth and alternate captains Michael Huntebrinker, Sean Flanagan, and Brad McClure. During the season, he was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after the team's 5–3 win over the Bowling Green Falcons. He tied for second on the team in points and finished fourth in goals scored.

Suess, Brad McClure, and Max Coatta were named captains of the Mavericks prior to Suess's senior year. In December, Suess officially changed his last name from Franklin to Suess in honor of his mother. At the conclusion of his senior year, Suess was named to the WCHA First All-Star Team and was named the WCHA Player of the Year, becoming the first Maverick to capture the award. Suess was also the recipient of the WCHA Offensive Player of the Year and selected for the WCHA All-American First Team. At the time of his graduation, his 127 career points were tied for fifth on the school's career scoring list during its time at the NCAA Division I level. He played 26 games for the team, recording 12 points before suffering a season-ending upper body injury in mid-December. In spite of this, he was re-signed by the Jets to a one-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $700,000 if he played in the NHL.

Upon being medically cleared to play, Suess participated in the Jets' 2019 training camp but was again reassigned to the Moose. As a result of injuries, Suess made his National Hockey League debut with the Winnipeg Jets on November 11, 2019, against the San Jose Sharks, playing a total of 6:26 on the ice. He was returned to the Moose for the remainder of the season and finished with 27 points in 57 games. On October 10, 2020, Suess signed a two-year, two way contract extension with an average annual value of $725,000 to remain with the Jets organization. When the NHL returned for the 2020–21 season due to COVID-19, he was reassigned to the Moose.

On July 13, 2022, he signed as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the San Jose Sharks.

Following one season in the Sharks organization, Suess left the club as a free agent and opted to return to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL after agreeing to a two-year contract on July 10, 2023.

On July 30, 2025, Suess opted to sign his first contract abroad, agreeing to a one-year contract with newly promoted German club, Dresdner Eislöwen of the DEL, for the 2025–26 season.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2009–10 Forest Lake High School USHS 25 18 19 37 18 2 1 2 3 0 2010–11 Forest Lake High School USHS 25 23 10 33 22 1 0 0 0 0 2011–12 Forest Lake High School USHS 25 15 23 38 26 2 0 4 4 2 2012–13 Sioux Falls Stampede USHL 63 32 28 60 60 10 1 3 4 7 2013–14 Sioux Falls Stampede USHL 53 22 29 51 43 3 2 1 3 4 2014–15 Minnesota State WCHA 37 9 19 28 21 — — — — — 2015–16 Minnesota State WCHA 41 14 11 25 43 — — — — — 2016–17 Minnesota State WCHA 39 12 19 31 38 — — — — — 2017–18 Minnesota State WCHA 40 22 21 43 53 — — — — — 2017–18 Manitoba Moose AHL 6 1 1 2 2 3 0 1 1 0 2018–19 Manitoba Moose AHL 26 8 4 12 6 — — — — — 2019–20 Manitoba Moose AHL 57 14 13 27 33 — — — — — 2019–20 Winnipeg Jets NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2020–21 Manitoba Moose AHL 31 8 6 14 10 — — — — — 2021–22 Manitoba Moose AHL 46 14 14 28 16 5 1 1 2 4 2021–22 Winnipeg Jets NHL 3 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 2022–23 San Jose Barracuda AHL 46 10 12 22 43 — — — — — 2022–23 San Jose Sharks NHL 1 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 2023–24 Manitoba Moose AHL 68 10 10 20 26 2 0 0 0 0 2024–25 Manitoba Moose AHL 71 11 12 23 32 — — — — — NHL totals 5 0 0 0 4 — — — — —

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 2014 United States WJAC 4 2 1 3 6 Junior totals 4 2 1 3 6

Awards and honors Award Year RefUSHL All-Star Game 2014 WCHA First All-Star Team 2018 Hobey Baker Award Finalist 2018