Former Marlborough High star Bobby Butler will return for Worcester Railers
The Worcester Railers announced that former Marlborough High star Bobby Butler will return to the team as the squad continues to build its roster for the 2022-23 ECHL season.
Butler, 35, joined the Railers last year after an influx of COVID-19 outbreaks ravaged Worcester's roster. Butler, who will be playing in his first full professional season since he played for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League in 2018-19, made his Railers debut on Jan. 2, scoring a goal and two assists to spark a 5-2 win over Reading.
Butler played 20 games with Worcester last season, notching six goals and 10 assists. On April 2, Butler played in his 600th professional game as Worcester fell to Newfoundland, 4-0.
“Bobby is a massive addition to our team,” Railers coach Jordan Lavallee-Smotherman said in a statement. “He really came through for us when we desperately needed bodies last season, and I cannot wait to see what he will be able to produce being fully on board. We are equally as excited to have a player of his caliber on the ice this season as we are to have his experience and character off the ice. He will be an amazing voice and example to our younger players and really be able to help them reach their full potential.”
Butler is a veteran of 130 NHL games from 2010-14, with Ottawa, New Jersey, Nashville and Florida. He collected 49 points (20 goals, 29 assists) in 130 games. Butler also played for Team USA in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Butler also has spent parts of six seasons in the AHL with Binghamton, where he helped the Senators to an AHL Calder Cup championship in 2011, Albany, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Harford, posting 231 points (119 goals, 112 assists) in 357 career games. He is a three-time AHL All-Star (2011, 2013, 2015).
Worcester opens the season Oct. 22 against Adirondack in the start of a two-game homestand at the DCU Center against the Thunder. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Railers front office at (508) 365-1750 or by visiting RailersHC.com.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Former Marlborough High star Bobby Butler will return for Worcester Railers
