Former North Bay Battalion coach/GM takes over in Erie
Stan Butler, the former coach and GM of the North Bay Battalion, is taking over as coach of the OHL's Erie Otters.
Butler, 66, coached the Battalion for 22 years, first in Brampton and again when they moved to North Bay in 2013.
He was let go from that position in 2019 and moved into a role as an adviser to owner Scott Abbott.
A social media post today from the Otters welcomed Butler as the team's new head coach.
According to a report from TSN, Butler-led teams made the Ontario Hockey League playoffs 18 times and he led his team to the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals twice.
The East York, Ont., native's 22-season with the Battalion organization is the longest single-team tenure in OHL history.
Butler is third all-time in OHL Games coached with 1,558 behind long-time Ottawa 67's head coach Brian Kilrea and North Bay Centennial's long-time coach Bert Templeton and four all-time with 747 wins behind Kilrea, Templeton, and London Knights coach Dale Hunter.
"Stan is one of the CHL's elite coaches, and we hope to create a bright future in which we can all share and celebrate in," Otters general manager Dave Brown said in a statement.
"Stan has a wealth of knowledge in terms of player development, in-game execution, and understanding of what it takes to get things done in terms of (winning) and advancing players to the pro level."
Butler became the third coach in Hockey Canada history to coach Team Canada in back-to-back years at the World Junior tournament, leading them to a bronze-medal performance in 2001 and a silver-medal performance in 2002. He most recently coached the Canadian under-18 national team to an eighth straight gold medal at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Tournament.
-- Files from TSN
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors concerned about potential spread of bird flu in Canada
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of US dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
Bank of Canada's Macklem says federal budget won't have much impact on inflation
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says he doesn't think the federal budget tabled last month will have much of an effect on inflation.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Imagine living in a 4-foot body that doesn't develop chronic diseases
Nathaly Paola Castro Torres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. It stunts her growth but also provides a hidden silver lining: Her body is protected from chronic diseases such as cancer that often take life away long before old age.
'Oh, there you go': Tyler Black, son of veteran broadcaster Rod Black, has memorable Major League Baseball debut
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Groundbreaking American guitarist Duane Eddy dies age 86
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.