« Hockey 2016-17

Will Butcher

School
U. of Denver
Position
Defense
Major
Finance

Classroom

Will Butcher currently carries a 3.28 GPA and is expected to graduate in 2017. Last season, he was named to the 2015-16 NCHC Academic All-Conference Team.

Character

“Will is a good and quiet leader in the classroom. He did well in my classes. He was an excellent leader and participant in discussions, served as a good role model and helped reign in the other hockey players. He has a wonderful work ethic and made sure that the work he missed for hockey was made up promptly. He kept his group informed and was a full participant.” - Kathleen Novak, Asst. Teaching Professor, Department of Management

Additional Link: http://www.denverpioneers.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/100516aaa.html

Community

Butcher is involved with Hockey Saves at the University of Denver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0foRspUeghI&noredirect=1

Competition

As a senior captain, Butcher already had been named an NCHC Defenseman of the Week twice in the first month of the season as of nomination time.

As a junior, Butcher earned second-team (West) All America honors after finishing third in the nation in scoring by a defenseman with 9G-23A-32P (41GP). He also earned second-team All-USCHO honors and was the co-winner (with Nolan Zajac) of the Keith Magnuson Award as Denver’s best defensive player. Butcher finished T-1st on DU in both plus/minus (+19) and power play goals (4) and was named to the All-Tournament Team at NCAA West Regional after tallying 2G-0A-2P in wins over BU and FSU. On March 9, 2016, he earned first-team All-NCHC honors, and on March 10 was named a finalist for both the NCHC Defenseman of the Year Award and Offensive Defenseman of the Year Award. He also captured four NCHC Defenseman of the Week Awards.

As a junior, Butcher served as an alternate captain for Team USA at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships. He was named Team USA’s Top Defenseman for the tournament and also earned NCHC Defenseman of the Week honors for UD for Nov. 17-23.

During 2013-14, Butcher played for Team USA at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships.