| Round | Overall |
| 4 | 55 |
 |
 |
Right-hand shot
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1969-70 | Sarnia | Jr.B | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1970-71 | Hamilton | OHA | 59 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 131 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Played football and box lacrosse in addition to hockey during his junior career. .... Selected by Hamilton from Sarnia in OHA's June 17, 1970, Junior B draft.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | 1971 |
| Debut: | December 21, 1972 (N.Y. Rangers vs. Atlanta) |
| Final NHL game: | March 5, 1983 (Winnipeg at Vancouver) |
| Retired: | March 9, 1983 |
| Stanley Cup: | Never won |
| Numbers worn: | 20, 17 (N.Y. Rangers);
17 (St. Louis); 17 (Toronto);
17, 28 (Vancouver); 29 (Winnipeg) |
Career NHL Statistics
Teams:
N.Y. Rangers, St. Louis, Toronto, Vancouver,
Winnipeg
Years: 1972-1983. Playoffs: 1974-1981
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 11 years | 641 | 99 | 120 | 219 | 515 |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 8 years | 48 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 79 |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Career Highlights
Set NHL record (since broken) for most games played in a single season when he appeared in 82 game during the 1977-78 season. He had already played nine for St. Louis when he was traded in November 1977, and then played the remaining 73 for Toronto.
Transaction History
June 18, 1975 -- Traded by N.Y.
Rangers with Ted Irvine and Bert Wilson to St. Louis in exchange for
Bill Collins and John Davidson. Nov. 1,
1977 -- Traded by St. Louis to Toronto in exchange for Inge
Hammarstrom. Feb. 18, 1980 -- Traded by
Toronto with Tiger Williams to Vancouver in exchange for Bill Derlago
and Rick Vaive.
Oct. 6, 1982 -- Signed with Winnipeg
as an unrestricted free agent after making team out of training camp.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Jerome
Patrick Butler
Nicknames:
"Bugsy", "Butsy", "Butts"
Other Post-Draft Teams: Omaha (CHL); Providence (AHL); Dallas (CHL)
Broadcasting Career: Graduated
from
Education: Graduated from Sarnia
Collegiate Institute and Technical School in 1969.
Career Beyond Hockey: Remained in
Winnipeg after retirement and worked for the city government as a building inspector.
Family: Father of former minor-leaguer Rob Butler.
Significant Injuries
Suffered a delayed rupture of the spleen in N.Y. Rangers' May 5, 1974, playoff finale at Philadelphia -- a Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup semifinals. The following day, he complained of pain, and the day after that, his season-ending physical showed abnormalities in his blood. He was admitted to South Nassau Communities Hospital that night, and Dr. Richard L. Spivelman performed surgery for the ruptured spleen on May 8, 1974. ... Missed start of 1975-76 season with broken right toe, suffered when he was hit by a shot from Bob Hess during St. Louis' final training-camp practice on Oct. 6, 1975. He did not make his 1975-76 regular-season debut until St. Louis' Nov. 9, 1975, game at Washington.
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by Los Angeles Sharks in 1972 WHA Draft, the first WHA Draft, in February 1972. | Selected by Minnesota Fighting Saints in 1973 WHA draft of established professional players. | Bulked up by 25 pounds during his early pro career to play at 185 pounds in the NHL. | Played on line with Garry Unger and Bob MacMillan for St. Louis in 1975-76 season. |
| Played on line with Jimmy Jones and Pat Boutette for Toronto in 1978-79. | Shadowed Wayne Gretzky in Vancouver's 5-0 win over Edmonton on April 1, 1980. | Paired on penalty-killing unit with Gerry Minor for Vancouver in 1980-81. | Elected to retire rather than accept demotion to Sherbrooke (AHL) in March 1983. |
| SNAPSHOT '71 | |
| Total Selected: | 117 |
| Forwards: | 63 |
| Defense: | 45 |
| Goaltenders: | 9 |
| Major Junior: | 84 |
| College Players: | 19 |
| Canadian: | 107 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 2 |
| American: | 8 |
| European: | 0 |
| Reached NHL: | 50 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 5 |
| Hall of Fame: | 3 |
| All-Star Game: | 10 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 5 |
| Olympians: | 4 |
| Picks Traded: | 18 |
| 1971 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Buffalo | California |
| Chicago | Detroit | Los Angeles |
| Minnesota | Montreal | New York |
| Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | St. Louis |
| Toronto | Vancouver | |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1971