Bobby Butler is known as a highly skilled offensive forward with quick hands and a rocket of a shot. Since making his professional hockey debut with the Ottawa Senators during the 2009-10 season, Butler has amassed 130 NHL games split between the Senators, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers, in addition to 221 games in the American Hockey League. After a successful 2014-15 campaign where he recorded 59 points in 68 games with the San Antonio Rampage, Butler will continue his journey in Sweden, where he recently signed a two year deal with Modo of the Swedish Elite Hockey League.

Born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, Butler began playing hockey at the very young age of three.  His father, who was heavily involved in the hockey community, played a tremendous role in Bobby’s early development. “My dad basically showed me the way. He got me everything I needed to succeed from ice time to getting on teams. My father just kept opening doors for me on the way to the top level,” recounts Butler.

Butler’s hockey upbringing also revolved around his brothers who pushed one another to succeed. “My older brother who played defence had a tremendous work ethic. He was very motivated and always had goals and plans. I really picked everything up from him. I also trained with my little brother who also played defence. He and I would go into the corners and he would try to get the puck off me. We always had good battles.”

When he wasn’t honing his game with family members, Butler would spend countless hours training at home on his own. “I would start off with lots of stick handling and then use the agility ladder.  Then, I would move on to shooting. In my driveway I had a chain link fence and I had a real hockey net that I would shoot at, about a hundred pucks a day. One day, I shot a thousand pucks to see what it would be like.”

From 2000-2005, Butler played high school hockey for Marlborough High school, setting school records with 284 points in 116 games, as well as goals scored in a season tallying 58 goals in 25 games during his junior year.

From 2003 – 2006, Bobby also played for the Boston Jr. Bruins of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (The EJHL). “Playing for the Jr. Bruins was great in terms of game preparation at the professional level because we had ice time and practises every day. There was a lot of learning involved and lots of road trips.”

When it came time for Butler to choose between Junior and University, he ultimately decided to pursue the varsity path at the University of New Hampshire (UNH).  “I think there are different routes that guys take. For me it was more about starting my education and just going from there.”

Over the course of four seasons with UNH from 2006- 2010, Butler achieved remarkable feats and distinguished himself as not a top calibre hockey player.  Aside from hockey, he studied health management and policy, finding the student athlete life balance to be convenient. “Classes were held during the day and practices would start at 4 o’clock. There were also team workouts on Mondays and Wednesdays.” 

In particular, the 2009-10 season helped Butler launch his professional hockey career. He tallied 39 goals for UNH, earning him a nomination as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top U.S. college hockey player. “I felt honored for even being in the same realm with the other two finalists, Wisconsin’s Blake Geoffrion and Gustav Nyquist of Maine.

The accolades continued for Butler who was also named the 58th recipient of the Walter Brown Award which is presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England. “It is an awesome award for people in the local area. I was lucky to receive that. Saying that I received that award feels really exciting.  We had a great team, phenomenal coaches, and dedicated staff who all contributed to me winning the award.”

Butler graduated from UNH and earned his degree despite having to leave his program early so he could play professional hockey. Towards the latter part of the 2009-10 season, Butler was on the Ottawa Senators’ radar who approach him with an offer. He would go on to play two games with the Senators to cap off his remarkable season, making his NHL debut on April 1^st, 2010; a 4–3 shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes. “I just remember the first breakout I had coming out of my zone from the right wing. When I got the puck I knew the player from opposing team was fast approaching. I saw my line mate and made a breakout pass. After that first play the nerves kind of went away and I just played hockey.”

Ultimately, Butler fondly remembers his university experience as a chapter in his life he will always cherish. “Being on a team with a great group of guys, along with exceptional coaches and staff. I remember all those fun times that we had on and off the ice. It is crazy to be on the same team with the same guys for four years. In professional hockey it is not like that.  There are new teams every year and new guys.  Those university years were so much fun. I wish I could go back and do that again.”

The following season, Butler played his first full year of professional hockey split between the Ottawa Senators and their AHL affiliate the Binghamton Senators. “At the professional level everyone is expecting you to be grown up and at your best. It is like being thrown into the water and figuring out how to swim.”  For Butler, his early development was aided by being assigned Jason Spezza as his roommate. “He kind of took me under his wing, showed me around and taught me what it takes to be a professional.” 

In 36 games with Ottawa that season, he notched 10 goals and 11 assists, with his first NHL goal coming on February 12, 2011, against Nikolai Khabibulin of the Edmonton Oilers. That game he also notched his first NHL assist on a goal by Milan Michalek. Butler proudly presented the stick he used to score his first NHL goal to his father.

Later that season, Butler was assigned to the Binghamton Senators where he helped lead the team to a Calder Cup Championship. “The experience of winning the Calder Cup was awesome, especiallyin my first year of pro. It is something I will always remember. I am still friends with guys from that team. We had a special group.”

Now that several years have passed, Butler’s perspective on winning championships at the pro level has changed. “I used to think how easy it was to win championships.  Now looking back at it, the reality is that it wasn’t easy to win. I think as the years go by you realize how hard it is to win and you appreciate it that much more.”

Following the 2011-12 campaign, Butler became a free agent and was uncertain about what awaited him.  “That experience of uncertainty and being a free agent made me a better person and player. It is important to stay focused and play hard.”

Bobby has since played for several professional organizations at both the NHL and AHL level. And what often gets overlooked is the mental challenges of being sent up and down, adjusting to new teams and being away from family.  “You need to go one day at a time and work as hard as you can because you never know when you’ll be reassigned. As I get older I understand that better. You either get a chance or you don’t. You can never guess what your management is thinking about. At the end of the day if you gave it all then you can be proud.”

Butler has primarily played the past two seasons for the San Antonio Rampage, helping mentor the numerous Florida Panthers prospects and has seemingly embraced the significant veteran role.

“I have been lucky to have great teammates both years in San Antonio. I feel like I have grown with this group of guys. There are lots of friendships that I have built that I think will last forever. Part of my role on the team is to mentor the up and coming talent and lead by example. I am very excited to see what the future holds for these young players.”

This past season was actually the first time Butler called upon the Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA) which represents players with the AHL and ECHL. “I would send an email or a text message to which the staff would respond right away. They would answer any questions I had for example, about healthcare for my new born son. They did a great job for me. My wife and I are grateful to have had such a fantastic experience.”

In terms of his own personal and professional development Butler explains, “I feel I am a better player now than when I came into the league. I can help the guys at the NHL level, if given a chance. Right now everything is about controlling what I can control. I just see what happens and see where the road takes me.”

For Butler, that means going overseas for the first time in his hockey career. On July 15, 2015, he signed a two-year contract with Modo of the Swedish Elite Hockey League. “I decided to go over seas to get a new experience and meet new people. I had a great opportunity in Modo and didn’t want to regret saying no. It’s a great chance while my son is still young to over and experience a different culture. I am excited for the season and excited for a different lifestyle.”

With the upcoming season looming right around the corner, Butler is confident and excited for what the next season holds. As for the present time, he explains, “I am training hard in preparation for next season and enjoying spending time with my family and my five-month old son.”