Hall of Fame
Born July 31, 1957, Graham Butcher was originally from Pte. aux Trembles, Que., and later raised on Montreal's south shore in St. Basile le Grand, Que. He attended Cedar Street elementary school in Beloeil, Que., Richelieu Valley Regional high school in McMasterville, Que., and Champlain Regional college in St. Lambert, Que., before enrolling at McGill, where he studied physical education from 1982 to 1987.
An accomplished striker on the varsity soccer team for four seasons, he helped lead McGill to three QUAA conference titles (1982, 1984, 1986), as well as a CIAU national championship, in 1982, under the direction of head coach Gord Gow.
Butcher's playing style combined athleticism, quickness and instinctive knowledge, with strong technical skills and a keen nose for scoring. In 1984, he had a career year, meriting Quebec conference all-star status, first-team All-Canadian honours and the Bill Searles Trophy as the team's most valuable player. He was also named to the CIAU all-tournament team at Nationals.
Decades after his last game, Butcher remains tied for second among the team leaders in career playoff goals with four.
He went on to serve five seasons as an assistant coach at McGill, working with the strikers from 1994 to 1998, and helping the team win three more Quebec conference titles (1995, 1996, 1997) along with another CIAU national championship, under head coach Pat Raimondo, in 1997.
This induction marks a kind of hat-trick for Butcher, as both the 1997 and the 1982 champs were previously inducted to the Hall of Fame in the team category, in 2013 and 2011, respectively.
