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1981
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1981 NHL DRAFT PICK
Garth Butcher
Selected in first round
No. 10 overall by Vancouver Canucks

Born January 8, 1963
Position: Defense
Height: 6-0   Weight: 195
BEFORE THE DRAFT
Last Team: Regina (WHL)                                 
Birthplace: Regina, Saskatchewan (Canada)
Hometown: Regina, Saskatchewan
PRE-DRAFT STATISTICS
Year TeamLeague GPG ATP PIM
1978-79 ReginaSask. AAA 224 2226 72
1979-80 ReginaSJHL 5115 3146 235
  ReginaWHL 130 44 20
1980-81 ReginaWHL 699 7786 230

PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
WHL All-Star First Team:
1980-81 (Regina)
Miscellaneous: Rated in The Hockey News draft preview issue as
No. 3 overall prospect and No. 1 WHL prospect for the 1981 NHL draft. ... Was youngest player on Regina (WHL) in 1978-79. ... Named to All-Star team at 1977 Kamloops International Bantam tournament. ... Attended Thom Collegiate High School in Regina, Saskatchewan.
NHL CAREER
Debut: January 7, 1982 (Vancouver at N.Y. Rangers)
Numbers:  3, 5 (Vancouver); 5 (St. Louis); 55 (Quebec); 2 (Toronto)
Stanley Cup: Never won.  Playing Status: Retired October 1995
CAREER NHL STATISTICS
Years TeamsGP GA TPPIM
1982-1995 VAN, STL, QUE, TOR897 48158 2062,302
CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS
Years TeamsGP GA TPPIM
1982-1995 VAN, STL, TOR50 65 11122

NHL AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game:
1993 (St. Louis) (injury replacement)
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1982 (Vancouver)
Vancouver Hume Award (Unsung Hero): 1986-87
Vancouver Most Valuable Teammate: 1986-87
Vancouver Tracker Award (Most Aggressive): 1988-89
St. Louis Captain: Oct. 5, 1991, until Sept. 26, 1992
Vancouver Records: Most assists by a defenseman in one game (4 vs. Toronto on Nov. 29, 1990)
St. Louis Records: Most games played in one season (84 in 1992-93, shares record)
Vancouver Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1984-85 (152), 1985-86 (188), 1986-87 (207), 1987-88 (285), 1988-89 (227)
Vancouver Playoffs Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1989 (22)
St. Louis Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1992-93 (211)
St. Louis Playoffs Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1991 (54)
Miscellaneous: Called up to Vancouver for first NHL action on five-game tryout contract in January 1982. ... Signed first NHL contract with Vancouver on March 5, 1982. ... Missed part of 1984-85 season with separated shoulder, an injury suffered in October 1984. ... Left Vancouver in 1991 with franchise record (since broken) for career penalty minutes (1,668). ... Missed remainder of 1991-92 regular season and start of 1992 playoffs with broken left foot, an injury suffered during St. Louis' March 7, 1992, game at Calgary. ... Played in 1993 NHL All-Star Game as an injury replacement for St. Louis teammate Jeff Brown. ... Missed parts of 1993-94 season with bruised foot, an injury suffered during St. Louis' Dec. 26, 1993, game vs. Tampa Bay, and with bruised thigh, an injury suffered during Quebec's March 10, 1994, game vs. Montreal. ... Missed part of 1995 season with back spasms, an injury suffered during Toronto's practice on March 12, 1995. ... Signed one-year termination contract with Toronto in August 1995. ... Released by Toronto on Oct. 2, 1995. He was unable to catch on with another team and chose to retire at age 32.
NON-NHL CAREER
Post-Draft Teams: Regina (WHL); Kamloops (WHL); Fredericton (AHL)
World Championships: 1992 (eighth place)
World Junior Championships: 1982 (gold medal)
NON-NHL AWARDS AND HONORS
WHL All-Star First Team:
1981-82 (Regina)
Miscellaneous: Played on first Canadian team to win a gold medal at World Junior Championships in 1982. ... Led all WHL defensemen with 92 points for Regina in 1981-82. ... WHL rights traded by Kamloops to Nanaimo in exchange for Cliff Ronning during 1982-83 season. ... Played on Vancouver's off-season charity softball team. ... Worked as car salesman and leasing agent in Vancouver during off-seasons of his playing days with Canucks. ... Worked with Ronald McDonald Children's Charity while playing for Toronto in 1995. ... Invested in Toronto restaurant and Langley, British Columbia, real estate business after retirement. ... Relocated to off-season home in Bellingham, Washington, after retirement and became director of local youth hockey program. ... Became active in Oldtimers' charity hockey after retirement. ... Helped Prince George (BCHL) by working as a part-time instructor during 2002-03 season while his brother-in-law, Doug Morrison, was one of team's assistant coaches.
Personal: Nicknamed "Strangler." ... Father of major-junior draft pick Matt Butcher. ... Brother-in-law of former NHL players Doug Morrison and Mark Morrison, whose sister is Butcher's wife.
HOW HE GOT AWAY
TRADE: Vancouver traded Butcher and Dan Quinn to St. Louis in exchange for Geoff Courtnall, Robert Dirk, Sergio Momesso, Cliff Ronning and 1992 fifth-round pick (Brian Loney) on March 5, 1991.

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SNAPSHOT '81
Total Selected: 211
Forwards: 119
Defense: 67
Goaltenders: 25
Major Junior: 122
Tier II/Jr. B: 10/4
College Players: 21
High School: 18
Canadian: 139
Euro-Canadian: 3
USA Citizens: 37
U.S.-Born: 36
European: 32
Reached NHL: 114
Stanley Cup: 17
Hall of Fame: 2
All-Star Game: 14
Year-end All-Star: 7
Olympians: 30
Picks Traded: 38
 
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