Garth Butcher

Last updated
Garth Butcher
Born (1963-01-08) January 8, 1963 (age 61)
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis Blues
Quebec Nordiques
Toronto Maple Leafs
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
NHL draft 10th overall, 1981
Vancouver Canucks
Playing career 19811995
Medal record
World Junior Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1982 Canada

Garth Butcher (born January 8, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Butcher was a top prospect as a junior player and was a member of the first Canadian team to win gold at the world junior championship. Butcher played in the National Hockey League for 14 seasons, from 1981–82 to 1994–95, mostly with the Vancouver Canucks.

Contents

Playing career

Junior career

Butcher played with Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League teams in his hometown of Regina prior to moving up to the Western Hockey League, late in the 1979–80 season. Regina was co-hosting the 1980 Memorial Cup, and Butcher joined the WHL's Regina Pats for 13 regular-season games, 9 playoff games (winning the President's Cup and for the round-robin games at the Memorial Cup tournament. At 16 years of age, he was the Pats' youngest player. [1]

During his next two seasons of junior, he accumulated 178 points and over 500 minutes in penalties, and was selected to the WHL's All-Star team in 1980–81. "His blend of talent and grit made him one of the top prospects" for the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. [2] The Hockey News draft preview issue ranked Butcher as the No. 3 overall prospect and No. 1 WHL prospect in a draft that included future Hall of Famers Dale Hawerchuk, Grant Fuhr and Al MacInnis (who was drafted five spots after Butcher). [3] On draft day, the Vancouver Canucks selected him 10th overall.

International gold

The next season, Butcher led all WHL defencemen with 92 points. Butcher was also a member of the first Canadian junior team to win a gold medal at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

The tourney was being played in North America (Minnesota was the host jurisdiction) and it was Canada's first attempt at putting together a true, national, junior team. The team was noted for its defence and allowed a tourney-low 14 goals in seven games under national team coach Dave King. [4]

For his part, Butcher scored one goal and three assists while recording no penalty minutes. Butcher recalls the gold-medal experience as his "greatest thrill" in hockey. [5]

Professional career

Vancouver Canucks

Shortly after the international tourney, he was called up to the NHL to join the Canucks for five regular season games (debuting January 7, 1982) and one play-off game in the team's run to the Stanley Cup Finals.

After splitting part of the next season with the Canucks' farm team, the Fredericton Express, Butcher became a staple of the NHL club's defence. Butcher became known for his defensive prowess and never matched his offensive numbers from junior. His best offensive season was 1987–88 when he recorded a modest 23 points (6 goals and 17 assists).

Goals came so rarely for Butcher at the NHL level that, in the 1988–89 season, his first goal of the season came in the playoffs (the Game 6 winning goal in the near-upset of the Calgary Flames).

Butcher played an aggressive style and earned a reputation as a classic "needler" who distracted opponents or provoked them into taking penalties. [6] In 1989, Gerard Gallant of the Detroit Red Wings was suspended five games for retaliating and deliberately attempting to injure Butcher. [7]

Butcher was not a prolific fighter but was still regarded as a tough, capable opponent. His December 26, 1988, fight with Mark Hunter of the Calgary Flames resulted in Hunter missing part of the season due to a concussion. [8]

In his near-decade and 610 games with the Canucks, Butcher amassed a club-record 1,668 penalty minutes, a mark eventually broken by Gino Odjick. His perseverance and battling attitude earned him the respect of the Canuck fans and team. After his retirement, the Canucks organization placed him in the sixth spot on their list of the 50 Greatest Canucks of all time. [9]

St. Louis Blues

Late in the 1990–91 season, the St. Louis Blues were in first place overall and GM Ron Caron was looking to improve the team's defence for the playoffs. On March 5, 1991, at the trade deadline, Caron traded four players and 1992 fifth-round pick (Brian Loney) to Vancouver for Butcher and Dan Quinn, a small but skilled centre. Butcher was the key player for the Blues, with Quinn added due to the Canucks hard negotiating. The Blues traded away Geoff Courtnall, Robert Dirk, Sergio Momesso, Cliff Ronning – who as a group invigorated the Canucks for a number of years and eventually helped their new team advance to the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Butcher trade helped the Canucks but cost Butcher's new team dearly. Trading away such depth cost the Blues a second scoring line behind Brett Hull and Adam Oates. As a result, the trade was blamed for the Blues defeat at the hands of the Minnesota North Stars in the second round of the playoffs. (The Stars would make it all the way to the Finals). Quinn was gone from the team shortly after the playoff disappointment. The Butcher trade (together with a later lopsided deal favoring the Canucks) was regarded by media and fans as one of the top 5 heartbreakers for the St. Louis Blues. [10]

Butcher was expected to provide leadership. He was named team captain, but a broken left foot cost him the end of the 1991–92 NHL season and the start of the playoffs. After the Blues were eliminated, Butcher was selected to the national team for the 1992 Ice Hockey World Championships. He played three games and scored a goal. The team placed eighth.

Butcher played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1993, but as an injury replacement for Jeff Brown. The same year, Butcher scored a rare goal, the game-winner, against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of the 1993 Norris Division Finals. [11]

Towards retirement

As Butcher aged, he became a less important player but still figured in trades for star players.

Midway through the 1993–94 NHL season, on January 23, 1994, Butcher was one of three St. Louis players traded to the Quebec Nordiques for star defenceman Steve Duchesne. In 1994, Butcher was moved from Quebec to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the multi-player blockbuster trade of Mats Sundin for Wendel Clark.

Butcher was released by Toronto on October 2, 1995. He was unable to catch on with another team and chose to retire at age 32.

Butcher played in 897 career NHL games, scoring 48 goals and 158 assists for 206 points, as well as adding 2,302 penalty minutes for the Canucks, Blues, Nordiques, and Maple Leafs.

Off-ice activities

During his career with the Canucks, Butcher worked as a car salesman and leasing agent in Vancouver during the off-seasons. Butcher eventually owned and operated several businesses, including a bar in Mississauga, Ontario. A woman at the bar accused Butcher of sexual assault after an after-work sexual encounter in 2002. In court, Butcher testified that the sex was consensual, and he was acquitted by a jury in 2004. [12]

Butcher lives in Bellingham, Washington, and is director of hockey operations for the Bellingham Sportsplex. He is also active in coaching for the Whatcom Warriors Amateur Hockey Association. [13]

Butcher married the sister of former NHL players Doug Morrison and Mark Morrison. Butcher has five children; [14] his son, Matt, was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. [15]

Awards and achievements

Vancouver Canucks

St. Louis Blues

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

   Regular season   Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1978–79Regina Pat CanadiansAAHA224222672
1979–80 Regina Blues SJHL 51153146236
1979–80 Regina Pats WHL 1304420900045
1979–80 Regina Pats M-Cup 30110
1980–81 Regina PatsWHL6997786230115172260
1981–82 Vancouver Canucks NHL 5000910000
1981–82 Regina PatsWHL65246892318193172095
1982–83 Vancouver CanucksNHL551131410431012
1982–83 Kamloops Jr. Oilers WHL542646481216
1983–84 Vancouver CanucksNHL2820234
1983–84 Fredericton Express AHL 254131743602219
1984–85 Vancouver CanucksNHL753912152
1984–85 Fredericton ExpressAHL310111
1985–86 Vancouver CanucksNHL70471118830000
1986–87 Vancouver CanucksNHL7051520207
1987–88 Vancouver CanucksNHL8061723285
1988–89 Vancouver CanucksNHL7802020227711222
1989–90 Vancouver CanucksNHL8061420205
1990–91 Vancouver CanucksNHL6961218257
1990–91 St. Louis Blues NHL13044321321354
1991–92 St. Louis BluesNHL6851520189512316
1992–93 St. Louis BluesNHL84510152111111220
1993–94 St. Louis BluesNHL4316776
1993–94 Quebec Nordiques NHL34391267
1994–95 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL451785970008
NHL totals897481582062,302506511122

International

YearTeamEvent GPGAPtsPIM
1982 Canada WJC 71340
1992 Canada WC 31014

See also

Related Research Articles

David Michael Babych is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently an assistant director of player personnel with the Vancouver Canucks. He played in two NHL All-Star Games and played for the Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings. He is the younger brother of former NHL player Wayne Babych. He was the first NHL player to wear the number 44 on a permanent basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana Murzyn</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1966)

Dana Trevor Murzyn is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Drafted out of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he was selected fifth overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He began his NHL career in 1985–86 with the Whalers and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. After being traded to the Calgary Flames in 1988, he won the Stanley Cup with the club in 1989. He was traded a second time in 1991 to the Vancouver Canucks, where he spent the majority of his career. Murzyn retired following the 1998–99 season after fourteen years in the NHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan McCabe</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1975)

Bryan McCabe is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) playing for the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergio Momesso</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Sergio Francesco Momesso is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1983 and 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Ronning</span> Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1965)

Clifford John Ronning is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the seventh round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, 134th overall. During a National Hockey League (NHL) career that spanned 18 years, Ronning played for the Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Hamhuis</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1982)

Daniel Hamhuis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in 2001 by the Nashville Predators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxim Lapierre</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1985)

Maxim Lapierre is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), he was selected in the second round, 61st overall, by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He spent parts of his first three professional seasons with the Canadiens' minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL), before playing his first full NHL season in 2008–09.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darcy Hordichuk</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1980)

Darcy Hordichuk is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He has previously played for the Vancouver Canucks, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.

Richard Roman Lanz is a Czech-born Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who spent 10 seasons in the National Hockey League and is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks. He was born in Czechoslovakia, but his family defected to Canada following the invasion by the Soviet Union in 1968.

Christopher Roy Oddleifson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1972 until 1981. He is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was one of the team's top players for much of the 1970s and served as team captain in 1976–77.

Harold John Snepsts is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 17 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1975 and 1991, including two stints with the Vancouver Canucks. Snepsts featured in the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals with the Canucks.

Robin N. Bawa is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent parts of four seasons in the National Hockey League between 1989 and 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Edler</span> Swedish ice hockey player (born 1986)

Ulf Niklas Alexander Edler is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is an unrestricted free agent. He previously played for the Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted out of Sweden's third-tier ice hockey league by the Canucks in the third round, 91st overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, and played junior ice hockey with Modo Hockey of the J20 SuperElit and the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Schmautz</span> Canadian ice hockey player (1945–2021)

Robert James Schmautz was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, and Colorado Rockies from 1967 to 1981. He featured in three Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kris Russell</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1987)

Kris Russell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally drafted in the third round, 67th overall, by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and played four seasons with the team before moving on to the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars. He has also played for TPS and Oulun Kärpät in the Finnish Liiga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Rome</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1983)

Aaron Rome is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently serving as a skills coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Rome was selected in the fourth round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings.

Robert Alan Tudor is a retired professional ice hockey centre who spent parts of three seasons in the National Hockey League, playing 28 games for the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues. The bulk of his career spent in the minor Central Hockey League. Tudor played major junior hockey for the Regina Pats of the Western Canada Hockey League before being selected by the Canucks in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft. He made his professional debut that year and first played in the NHL in 1978.

Taylor Hall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. Hall played 41 games across five seasons in the NHL, with the rest of his career coming in the minor leagues and in Europe. After retiring in 1996 he took up coaching and later became general manager for several clubs, with his longest tenure coming with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League and later ECHL, from 2008 until 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Dorsett</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1986)

Derek Dorsett is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Blue Jackets drafted him in 2006 in the seventh round, 189th overall. After nine years in the NHL, Dorsett retired after repeated injuries to his neck. He is currently the assistant to the head coach of the Upper Arlington ice hockey team. Dorsett was best known for his role similar to that of an enforcer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zack Fitzgerald</span> American ice hockey player

Zackary John Fitzgerald is an American former professional ice hockey player. He was most recently the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Glasgow Clan of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).

References

  1. "1981 NHL Entry Draft - Garth Butcher". www.hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  2. "Garth Butcher profile". Legends of Hockey. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  3. "1981 NHL Entry Draft - Garth Butcher". www.hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  4. "World Junior Hockey Championship - History". TSN . Retrieved 2007-09-09.
  5. "Garth Butcher interview". Oldtimers' Hockey Challenge. Archived from the original on 2007-12-24. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  6. "Canucks Hall of Fame". Vancouver Canucks official site. Archived from the original on 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
  7. "SPORTS PEOPLE: HOCKEY; Gallant Suspended". AP/The New York Times. October 14, 1989. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
  8. "1981 NHL Entry Draft - Mark Hunter". www.hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
  9. "Canucks Hall of Fame". Vancouver Canucks official site. Archived from the original on 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
  10. "Say it ain't so - St. Louis Blues transactions that broke our hearts". CNN/Sports Illustrated. February 7, 2001. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  11. "HOCKEY; Unlikely Hero Lifts Blues". The New York Times. May 8, 1993. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
  12. "Butcher acquitted of sexual assault". CBC Sports. October 5, 2004. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  13. "Whatcom Hockey Club". Archived from the original on 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  14. "Canuck sons carry on family legacy". The Vancouver Sun. August 31, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  15. "Matt Butcher". eliteprospects. June 15, 2018.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Vancouver Canucks first round draft pick
1981
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by St. Louis Blues captain
1991–92
Succeeded by