A University of Calgary student who grew up in the Blackie area had to put off studying for the night to limber up with the likes of Roberto Luongo and Miikka Kiprusoff.
Dustin Butler, a goalie for the U of C Dinos, got a call on April 10 from his head coach informing him Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider had fallen ill. Butler ended up being a last-minute backup to the Canucks’ Luongo when Vancouver took on the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome later that evening.
“I remember stretching before the game and looking across the red-line and stretching beside me was Miikka Kiprusoff and there was Joey MacDonald and Roberto Luongo,” Butler said. “You see those guys on TV and to be right beside them was kind of cool.”
It wasn’t the first time Butler had this type of request, so he wasn’t about to let a second chance to slip on a NHL jersey slip by.
“I had a similar offer with the Edmonton Oilers a few years ago and I couldn’t do it because I was injured,” Butler said. “So it was exciting to get another chance.”
Butler went to meet the Canucks at their Calgary hotel and he was so excited he was practically seeing double.
“The first guys I saw were the Sedins (twin brothers Henrik and Daniel) and that was pretty neat and I met Roberto Luongo almost right off the bat,” Butler said. “He was really easy to talk to. A good guy.”
Butler made a point of not interfering with the Canucks as they prepared for the game.
“Once I got to the ice I just stayed to myself and let them do their preparation and pre-game stuff,” he said. “I didn’t want to bother anybody.”
He participated in the pregame warm up and as far as he knew he had the chance to stop pucks from the likes of Ryan Kesler and the Sedins.
“I was too busy watching the pucks to know who was shooting them,” he said.
Butler was rewarded for his good behaviour. Traditionally, the starting goalie leads the team on the ice before the pre-game warm-up. However, Luongo passed the honour to Butler.
“Roberto, turned to me and said: ‘Look you’re going first,’ and I said: ‘Okay,’” Butler said with a chuckle. “I look out and the Flames stepped out on the ice so I stepped out on the ice. I looked back and I realized I was the only one on the ice they didn’t follow me. I was skating by myself for 15 seconds before they stepped on the ice. It was just joking around — their way of making me feel a part of the team.”
Luongo was phenomenal in the game and when the Canucks scored three goals in the late stages to give them a 4-1 lead, the Vancouver players started chanting to the coaches to put the kid who grew up in the foothills in the net.
“The Flames were putting the pressure on and we couldn’t get a whistle — they were saying they were trying to get me in there,” Butler said.
“That was awful nice of them.”
Butler didn’t get an NHL paycheque for his efforts, however, he did get to keep his Canucks jersey and was given Roberto Luongo’s stick which was autographed by the Canucks.
Butler’s call-up was also a thrill to an old-time goalie from these parts. His dad Peter, who was an all-star goalie with the High River Flyers and the Blackie Bobcats in the Ranchland Hockey League in the 1980s and 1990s, was able to see the game.
“It was quite unique to see Dustin put on a NHL jersey,” said Peter, who lives in the Gladys Ridge area.
“I was kind of in shock and awe and really proud.”
The family was pretty excited when they saw Dustin lead the team onto the ice.
“They traditionally let the starting goalie do that — and Mrs. Butler practically had a bird when she saw him leading them,” Peter said with a laugh.
Mrs. Butler, Peter’s wife, Sherry, said it was an exciting game.
“We were really lucky to get tickets,” Sherry said. “Dustin’s fiancé Kelsey King works downtown and she sent out a massive e-mail to get tickets.”
Sherry said she was stunned how many friends and family from Blackie and the High River area were at the game.
Dustin played for three Western Hockey League teams including Portland, Kamloops and his final season was with the Prince Albert Raiders, where he played with former New York Islander Jeremy Colliton who also is from Blackie.
