A scrappy defenceman and solid team leader, Garth Butcher played nearly 900 NHL games in the 1980s and '90s. Although his scoring statistics were formidable in junior, he focused on looking after his own end and making opposition forwards pay the price in the NHL.
Butcher played with the local Capitals in the SJHL before graduating to the WHL's Pats. During his last two years of junior he accumulated 178 points and over 500 minutes in penalties. His blend of talent and grit made him one of the top prospects as the 1981 Entry Draft approached. Butcher was claimed 10th overall by the Vancouver Canucks the spent nearly a decade with that organization.
The offensive totals of his junior hockey days eluded Butcher as a pro but he became a constant physical presence in his own end. He also became a team leader and one the craftiest defensive blueliners in the wide-open Western Conference.
Late in the 1990-91 season, the veteran rearguard joined the St. Louis Blues and served as the team captain in 1991-92. Highlights of this stage in his career included playing for Canada at the 1992 World Championships and helping the Blues come within a game of reaching the semi-finals in 1993. Butcher played briefly with the Quebec Nordiques and Toronto Maple Leafs before retiring in 1995.