Jack Butterfield (ice hockey)

Lore & Background

Butterfield began his hockey career working for his uncle Eddie Shore's New Haven Eagles and Springfield Indians as a public relations executive and trainer. He later held management positions in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the United States Hockey League before returning to the Indians as rink manager and trainer, eventually becoming general manager. As general manager, the Indians won three consecutive Calder Cup championships in 1960, 1961 and 1962, a feat unmatched in the AHL.

Upon becoming AHL president in 1966, Butterfield was instrumental in establishing the AHL as the primary minor league for the NHL through restructuring the basic affiliation agreement. This agreement helped the league survive when NHL expansion and the World Hockey Association came into being. His acumen became respected enough that his views were sought by the NHL Rules Committee. He also moved the league offices to the Springfield area, where they remain.

Butterfield guided the AHL through the 1970s, helping the league survive several rounds of NHL expansion and the appearance and disappearance of the WHA. After retiring as president, he served as the AHL's chairman of the board until his death and continued to oversee the creation of the annual regular-season schedules.

Reader's Guide

Butterfield's significance lies in his 28-year presidency of the AHL, the longest of any executive, during which he restructured the affiliation agreement with the NHL, securing the AHL's role as the primary minor league. This restructuring helped the league endure NHL expansion and the rise and fall of the World Hockey Association. His influence extended to the NHL Rules Committee, which sought his views. He was honored with the James C. Hendy Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding executive in 1971 and 1984, and received the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy in 1985 for service to hockey in the United States. The AHL playoff MVP award was named after him in 1984, and he was an inaugural member of the AHL Hall of Fame in 2006. He also received the Thomas Ebright Memorial Award in 1998 for outstanding contributions to the AHL. After his death, then-AHL President David Andrews stated, 'The American Hockey League would not exist today were it not for the efforts of Jack Butterfield during his tenure as president.'

Did You Know?

• Butterfield was wounded in action while serving as a Wellington bomber pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II.
• He was general manager of the Springfield Indians when they won three consecutive Calder Cup championships in 1960, 1961 and 1962.
• He was the first recipient of the Thomas Ebright Memorial Award in 1998.