Playing career

Amateur

Prior to enrolling at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Butler played three seasons with the Boston Jr. Bruins of the Eastern Junior Hockey League from 2003-2006, and five seasons with Marlborough High School from 2000-2005, making the varsity team as an eighth-grader. During the 2004-05 season, he helped both his high school team and junior team to championship titles. At Marlborough High School (MHS), Butler recorded 284 points in 116 games as well as breaking the school's record in goals scored during his junior year, tallying 58 goals in 25 games. While at MHS, he played for his father, who coached the team for 25 years, retiring in 2011. Butler's MHS hockey point totals are celebrated in a prominent banner at the Navin Rink in Marlborough, which celebrates former MHS players that accumulated more than 100 points during their high school careers. Butler's MHS career point totals are displayed with other outstanding Marlboro High School hockey players such as Shawn O'Malley, Mark Cappadona, Doug Gibbs, and Russ McKinnon.

Butler capped a standout four-year college career by being named the New Hampshire Wildcats' co-captain and finishing second among all NCAA Division I players in goals in 2009 - 10, scoring 29 for UNH, earning him a nomination as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top U.S. college hockey player. The Wildcats went 87-49-17 with him in the lineup and also qualified for the NCAA Tournament all four seasons that he was enrolled at the school. On March 24, 2010, Butler was recognized as the 58th recipient of the Walter Brown Award, which is presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England. He was also selected as Hockey East’s Player of the Year, an All-Hockey East First Team honoree, the Hockey East Player of the month for November, the Hockey East scoring champion, a Hockey East Three Stars Award winner and a 2010 Hockey Humanitarian nominee for his efforts in the community. He recorded 61 goals, 60 assists and 88 penalty minutes over his four-year, 153-game collegiate career at New Hampshire.

Professional

On March 29, 2010, he signed a two year contract with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. He made his NHL debut with Ottawa on April 1 in a 4-3 shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes. After attending the 2010 training camp, Butler was assigned to the Binghamton Senators.

Butler scored his first NHL goal against Nikolai Khabibulin of the Edmonton Oilers on February 12, 2011, and recorded his first assist in the same game, on a goal by Milan Michalek. After spending the remainder of the season in Ottawa and recording 10 goals and 11 assists in 36 games, he was returned to Binghamton where he helped lead the club to a Calder Cup victory, notching 13 goals and 7 assists during the 23 game playoff. He is well know by teammates and opposing players for his alluring catch phrase "That's Beast!" which he yells each time he scores a goal.

On July 14, 2011, he was rewarded for his solid 2010-11 season with a two-year, one-way contract with the Ottawa Senators. However, Butler responded with a much poorer 2011-12 season than expected, registering only 6 goals and 16 points in 56 games. As a result, in July 2012 the Senators placed Butler on waivers with the intent of buying out his contract. On July 27, 2012, the Senators announced that his contract had been bought out, making Butler a free agent.

On August 9, 2012, Butler signed a one-year, two-way contract with the New Jersey Devils organization. With the 2012 NHL lockout in affect, he was directly assigned to AHL affiliate, the Albany Devils. Upon commencement of the shortened 2012-13 season, Butler was recalled to New Jersey and made his Devils debut against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on February 3, 2013. Butler scored his only goal with the Devils against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 9. After registering 2 points in 14 games with the Devils Butler was placed on waivers by the Devils and claimed by the Nashville Predators on March 4, 2013.

On June 14, 2013 he was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for T.J. Brennan.

On July 15, 2015, Butler signed his first contract abroad in agreeing to a two-year contract with Swedish club, Modo Hockey of the SHL.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002-03	Boston Jr. Bruins	EJHL		13	1	3	4	0		—	—	—	—	—
2003-04	Boston Jr. Bruins	EJHL		59	15	18	33	28		—	—	—	—	—
2004-05	Boston Jr. Bruins	EJHL		49	18	14	32	36		—	—	—	—	—
2005-06	Boston Jr. Bruins	EJHL		44	22	22	44	42		4	2	2	4	8
2006-07	University of New Hampshire	HE		38	9	3	12	12		—	—	—	—	—
2007-08	University of New Hampshire	HE		38	14	12	26	20		—	—	—	—	—
2008-09	University of New Hampshire	HE		38	9	21	30	36		—	—	—	—	—
2009-10	University of New Hampshire	HE		39	29	24	53	20		—	—	—	—	—
2009-10	Ottawa Senators	NHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2010-11	Binghamton Senators	AHL		47	22	11	33	35		23	13	4	17	6
2010-11	Ottawa Senators	NHL		36	10	11	21	10		—	—	—	—	—
2011-12	Ottawa Senators	NHL		56	6	10	16	12		3	0	0	0	0
2012-13	Albany Devils	AHL		37	16	11	27	8		—	—	—	—	—
2012-13	New Jersey Devils	NHL		14	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
2012-13	Nashville Predators	NHL		20	3	6	9	4		—	—	—	—	—
2013-14	San Antonio Rampage	AHL		69	22	25	47	12		—	—	—	—	—
2013-14	Florida Panthers	NHL		2	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
2014-15	San Antonio Rampage	AHL		68	27	32	59	37		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				130	20	29	49	28		3	0	0	0	0

Medal record
Representing the United States
Ice hockey
Ice Hockey World Championships
	2013 Sweden/Finland

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2013	United States	WC	03 !		8	3	1	4	2
Senior totals					8	3	1	4	2

Awards and honors

Award	Year
Hockey East All-Tournament Team	2008
All-Hockey East First Team	2009-10
AHCA East First-Team All-American	2009-10
Finalist Hobey Baker Award	2010
MVP AHL All-Star Classic	2011

[ Source: Wikipedia ]