May 21, 2010
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Wisconsin Picks Two New Assistants
CHN Staff Report
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin named a pair of new assistant coaches today — Gary Shuchuk and Bill Butters.
“Our hockey program is ecstatic to bring on board two outstanding people,” said Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves.
Both players, like Eaves, have NHL experience. They replace Mark Osiecki and Kevin Patrick, who left to become head coaches at Ohio State and in the USHL, respectively.
Shuchuk, a former Badger player, has most recently been executive director of Madison Ice, Inc., where he oversees the daily operations of Madison Ice Arena and Hartmeyer Ice Arena in Madison. Since 2008, he also has served as coach for Team Wisconsin U16 and helped select and develop that and the U18 team. As coach of the U16 team, he has guided the squad to back-to-back Tier I National Championship tournaments.
A 1990 First-Team All-American and the 1990 WCHA Player of the Year, Shuchuk was the leading scorer for Wisconsin’s 1990 NCAA championship team and an assistant captain. He set Wisconsin’s single-season goal-scoring record for seniors with 41 that year, while his 80 points that season are second on UW’s all-time list for seniors, trailing only Mike Eaves’ 89 points. Shuchuk collected 85 goals and 176 points in 177 career games for Wisconsin from 1986-90.
Following his Badger career, Shuchuk, a native of Edmonton, played parts of five seasons in the NHL between 1990 and 1996, including part of one season with the Detroit Red Wings and four seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. His stint with the Kings included the team’s 1993 run to the Stanley Cup Finals. He also spent time in the AHL, winning the Calder Cup with the Adirondack Red Wings in 1992 and earning team MVP honors in 2004 with the Springfield Falcons, while also serving as one of the team’s assistant coaches.
Butters, who will work with the defensemen, was an assistant coach at his alma mater Minnesota from 1985-95.
Among the players who played for him at Minnesota were NHL defensemen Doug Zmolek, Chris McAlpine, Lance Pitlick, Mike Crowley, Tom Pederson, Dan Trebil and Todd Richards. Richards is now the head coach of the Minnesota Wild. Following his time with Minnesota, Butters was co-head coach at Division III Bethel through 1998, before taking over as head coach of his former team at White Bear Lake High School until 2002.
As a player, Butters played three years at Minnesota, where he served as co-captain during the 1972-73 season. During his career, he was teammates with current Nebraska-Omaha head coach Dean Blais and played for legendary head coaches Glen Sonmor and Herb Brooks.
His professional hockey career began in the CHL with the Oklahoma City Blazers for two seasons. From there, he moved on to the WHA for nearly five seasons. He skated for Minnesota, Houston, Edmonton and New England in the WHA. He reached the pinnacle in 1977-78, playing 23 games with the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars. Butters returned the following season to Minnesota, before finishing his career with the Oklahoma City Stars of the CHL. He spent his final professional season as a player and coach for Oklahoma City, where he was teammates with Mike Eaves.
Recently, Butters has worked with Hockey Ministries International, where he has staffed and coached hockey camps.
“I have known Bill Butters since our playing days with the Minnesota North Stars,” explained Eaves. “He fills a big void left by Coach Osiecki. He can step right in with his experience at the college and professional level to work with our young defensemen. He also keeps important connections in the recruiting world, including in his home state of Minnesota.”
