Bobby Butler

Robert "Bobby" Butler (born April 26, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey player with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a member of the Binghamton Senators' 2011 Calder Cup championship team in the American Hockey League.

University of New Hampshire
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, 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.

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.

Ottawa Senators
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.

On July 14, 2011 he was rewarded for his solid 2010-11 season with a two year, one way contract with the Ottawa Senators.

Awards and honors

 * 2010 - Walter Brown Award for outstanding player in New England.
 * 2010 - Finalist, Hobey Baker Award
 * NCAA West First All-American Team (2009–10)
 * 2011 - Most valuable player, AHL 2011 All-Star Classic