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Bulletin: Senators sign forward Bobby Butler to a two-year contract

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OTTAWA - Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray announced today the club has signed free agent forward Bobby Butler to a two-year entry-level contract.

Butler’s collegiate career came to an end on Saturday, March 27, when the University of New Hampshire Wildcats fell 6-2 to the Rochester Institute of Technology at the 2010 NCAA East Regional finals in Albany, N.Y. Butler was named to the all-regional team for his efforts over the weekend. Butler recorded two goals and one assist in UNH’s 6-2 win over sixth-ranked Cornell University in the first round of the tournament last Friday.

A Top 10 finalist for the 2010 Hobey Baker Award, which honours U.S. college hockey’s best player, Butler helped UNH capture its eighth Hockey East regular-season title, including its third in the last four years, and qualify for the NCAA East Regional tournament for a ninth-straight season.

Named the Wildcats’ co-captain in his final season, Butler had the best year of his collegiate career in 2009-10. He led the team in scoring with 29 goals and 24 assists in 39 games, and ranked third among Hockey East scorers with 53 points while leading the conference and the NCAA in goals.

On March 24, Butler was recognized as the 58th recipient of the Walter Brown Award, which is presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England. He was also selected as Hockey East’s player of the year, an All-Hockey East First Team honouree, the Hockey East Player of the month for November, the Hockey East scoring champion, a Hockey East three-stars award winner and a 2010 Hockey Humanitarian nominee for his efforts in the community.

The native of Framingham, Mass., who turns 23 on April 26, recorded 61 goals, 60 assists and 88 penalty minutes over his four-year 153-game collegiate career at New Hampshire.

Prior to enrolling at the University of New Hampshire, the 6-0, 185-pound forward played three seasons with the Boston Jr. Bruins of the Eastern Junior Hockey League from 2003-04 to 2005-06, and two seasons with Marlborough High School in 2003-04 and 2004-05.