Butler Receives Call to Under-18 Team
June 23, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release
NORTH BAY, Ont. - Stan Butler is heading back to international hockey.
The North Bay Battalion's Butler has been named head coach of Canada's national men's summer under-18 team, Hockey Canada, in conjunction with the Canadian Hockey League, announced Tuesday.
Butler, director of hockey operations and head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Battalion since its inception in Brampton, replaces Kelly McCrimmon of the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings, who has been named an assistant with the national junior team for the World Junior Championship.
McCrimmon got the position after head coach D.J. Smith left the Memorial Cup champion Oshawa Generals to become an assistant with the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs.
"I'm excited about the challenge," said Butler. "Obviously, it came out of the blue. (Hockey Canada president) Tom Renney gave me a call yesterday and asked me if I'd be interested to do it, and I just feel that any time you have the privilege to represent your country you've got to take it and run with it."
Butler will be joined by newly named assistant coach Shaun Clouston from the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers. He was an assistant with the title-winning under-18 team last year at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, held each August in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Clouston replaces Sheldon Keefe, the former head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds who recently took the same position with the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies.
Butler and Clouston will work with assistant coach Darren Rumble from the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
"I don't know either one of them," said Butler. "I'll get to meet them this weekend. We have a coaches' conference or clinic that we're going to in Florida. I'm looking forward to working with them. They both have great reputations, and hopefully we'll gel well as a group and go from there."
Said Butler: "It's a new challenge; it's a new experience. I think in life you're always looking for new challenges to make you better, and I don't think there's any doubt this is one of them."
After 17 seasons with the Battalion, including two in North Bay, Butler is the longest-tenured coach in the OHL. As head coach of Canada's entry in two World Junior Championships, he won bronze in 2001 at Moscow and silver in 2002 in the Czech Republic. He also earned silver as an assistant coach under Renney in 1999 at Winnipeg.
As head coach, Butler won gold with Canada's summer under-18 team at the 1999 Four Nations tournament after capturing gold as an assistant at the 1998 Three Nations Tournament.
Rosters and schedules for the Canadian national junior team's summer development camp and the summer under-18 team's selection camp, both to be held at Calgary, were to be released later Tuesday.
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Ontario Hockey League Stories from June 23, 2015
- Saigeon Named to Under 18 Camp - Brantford Bulldogs
- Troops Sending Five to Canada's Showcase - North Bay Battalion
- Six Petes Invited to Hockey Canada Development Camps - Peterborough Petes
- Four Bulldogs Prospects Named to Under 17 Camp - Brantford Bulldogs
- Chychrun, Kyrou, McGregor & Hughes to Attend HC Summer Showcase - Sarnia Sting
- 194 Players Invited to Hockey Canada National Teams' Summer Showcase - OHL
- Dal Colle and Vande Sompel Named to National Jr. Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp Roster - Oshawa Generals
- Butler Receives Call to Under-18 Team - North Bay Battalion
- Changes Made to Canada's National Junior Team, National Men's Summer Under-18 Team Coaching Staff - OHL
- 'Where in the World Are Petes Fans' Contest on Now - Peterborough Petes
- Firebirds Add Petr Jonak to Coaching Staff - Flint Firebirds
- Halverson Named to U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp - Soo Greyhounds
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