Andrej Suster with San Diego

Photo credit: San Diego Gulls

It looks as though the career of veteran defenseman Andrej Sustr in the National Hockey League could be coming to a close after he was released from his PTO with the Bridgeport Islanders, the AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders.

All things eventually come to a close, and right now, it looks like it could be the end of the road for veteran defenseman Andrej Sustr.

Sustr, who was signed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) by the Bridgeport Islanders, the American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, has been released from his tryout.

His underwhelming play in the AHL could mean that not only is his NHL career almost certainly finished, but that his career in North America could be finished as well.

Sustr signed a similar PTO with the New York Rangers before the start of this season, but didn’t get a roster spot and was also not offered a deal with their AHL affiliate.

Andrej Sustr’s Career In The NHL Could Be Over After 361 Games

Sustr was never drafted into the NHL and appeared in the development camps of several teams, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers.

He then signed an entry level contract with the Lightning, where he would play over 200 games before deciding to leave in free agency and sign a one year contract with the Anaheim Ducks in 2017.

After bouncing between the NHL and the AHL, Sustr took his career overseas when he signed with the Chinese club Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League.

He came back to North America and re-joined the Lightning, and would eventually be waived and claimed by the Ducks for his second tenure with the club.

Since then, he spent time in the Minnesota Wild organization, and also played 12 games with the San Diego Gulls in 2022-23. He’s also played in Germany, Czechia and Finland.

In 316 career NHL games, Sustr had 69 points (11G, 58A).

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Longtime NHLer loses tryout contract with Islanders organization: Will likely leave North America

Is the NHL career of Andrej Sustr over?