By CHAT News Today

Chad Butcher signs with Bakersfield Condors

May 2, 2017 | 12:57 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — It didn’t take long for Chad Butcher to land on his feet following the conclusion of his Western Hockey League career.

The Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League announced Tuesday afternoon Butcher signed a contract with the team for the 2017-18 hockey season.

“Going into this year, it was something that I wanted to achieve,” said the 21-year-old Kamloops, BC product who lead the Tigers to a Central Division title with a team-leading 103 points in his final year. “It’s good, it’s rewarding.”

Butcher scored 28 goals and notched 76 assists in his overage season with the Tigers and finished fourth overall in WHL scoring. Through his WHL career, he recorded 259 points in 301 games.

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He is part of a very short list of Tigers alumni to surpass the 300 game mark.

The Kamloops, B.C. native was invited to Edmonton Oilers training camp in 2016. The Condors are the Oilers’ AHL affiliate.

Butcher says having the eyes of NHL and AHL watchdogs above likely helped him receive his first pro contract.

“It was a really good learning experience… it gave me a bit of a taste,” he added. “(Bakersfield) was a team that I guess was watching me fairly closely since my time there and it all ended up working out.”

In addition to Butcher, the team also signed Evan Poloi, who finished his WHL career with the Red Deer Rebels this season, and Dave Gust, who played with the Ohio State Buckeyes for the past four seasons.