Will Butcher
William Butcher | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 6, 1995 United States |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey defenseman |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Hobey Baker Award winner (2017), NHL debut with New Jersey Devils, playing in AHL, NHL, KHL, DEL |
William Butcher (born January 6, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who currently competes with the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was drafted 123rd overall by the Colorado Avalanche during the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career
Butcher's collegiate hockey career spanned from 2013 to 2017 at the University of Denver. In the 2016–17 campaign, he earned the prestigious Hobey Baker Award as the top player in men's college hockey. That season, he also garnered accolades including NCHC First-Team All-Star, Player of the Year, and Offensive Defenseman of the Year. Additionally, he played a key role in leading Denver to clinch the 2017 NCAA Championship.
On August 27, 2017, Butcher inked a two-year entry-level deal with the New Jersey Devils, featuring a base salary of $925,000 annually. Following training camp, he secured a spot on New Jersey’s roster for the opening night of the 2017–18 NHL season. Making his NHL debut on October 7, 2017, he became the first player in Devils history to tally three points in their initial game by contributing three power-play assists during a 4–1 victory over his former drafting team, the Colorado Avalanche.
Butcher agreed to a three-year contract extension with New Jersey on July 31, 2019. Throughout the 2019–20 season, he appeared in 56 games before sustaining an injury in February 2020 that ended his season prematurely. His offensive output diminished progressively across subsequent seasons.
On July 28, 2021, as part of salary cap considerations by New Jersey, Butcher was traded to the Buffalo Sabres along with a fifth-round draft pick for future considerations. During the 2021–22 season with Buffalo, he registered two goals and totaled eight points over 37 contests.
After entering free agency, Butcher signed a one-year two-way contract with the Dallas Stars on July 22, 2022. Assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, he led all defensemen with 43 points and set a franchise record by recording 37 assists in a single season.
On July 3, 2023, Butcher secured a one-year two-way contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Midway through that season, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Maxim Čajkovič.
Following the conclusion of his contract with Minnesota, Butcher embarked on his first international professional engagement by signing a one-year agreement with Kazakhstan's Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on July 25, 2024. He was released after participating in 15 games during the 2024–25 KHL campaign.
On November 22, 2024, Butcher joined EHC Red Bull München competing in Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) for the remainder of that season.
Returning stateside after his European tenure, Butcher signed a one-year AHL contract with the Cleveland Monsters—the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets—on October 9, 2025.
International play
Butcher was named to represent the senior United States men's national ice hockey team at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2010–11 | Madison Capitols 18U AAA | T1EHL | 34 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Dubuque Fighting Saints | USHL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 31 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | U.S. NTDP U17/U18 | USDP | 56 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | U.S. NTDP Juniors/U18 | USHL/USDP | 93 | 14 | 36 | 50 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 to 2016–17 | University of Denver | NCHC | 158 | 28 | 75 | 103 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 to 2021–22 | New Jersey Devils/Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 275 | 16 | 98 | 114 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 to present | Texas Stars, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Iowa Wild, Barys Astana, EHC München | AHL/KHL/DEL | 155 | 18 | 58 | 76 | 30 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 275 | 16 | 98 | 114 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||||
| KHL totals | 15 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | Outcome | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | United States | U17 | Template:Silver2 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2012 | United States | U18 | Template:Gold1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2013 | United States | U18 | Template:Silver2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2014 | United States | WJC | 5th place | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2015 | United States | WJC | 5th place | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018 | United States | WC | Template:Bronze3 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| Junior career totals | 28 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 8 | ||||
| Senior career totals | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| NCHC First All-Star Team | 2016, 2017 | |
| AHCA West Second-Team All-American | 2016 | |
| NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year | 2017 | |
| NCHC Player of the Year | 2017 | |
| AHCA West First-Team All-American | 2017 | |
| NCAA All-Tournament Team | 2017 | |
| NCAA West First All-Star Team | 2017 | |
| Hobey Baker Award | 2017 | |
| NHL | ||
| NHL All-Rookie Team | 2018 | |