UBC men’s hockey coach Sven Butenschon has earned the coaching crown this year as he was named Canada West’s men’s hockey coach of the year.
This was Butenschon’s second season guiding the T-Birds. He was named head coach mid-April of last year after a successful turnaround stint as interim head coach featuring a surprise playoff birth in the 2016/17 season.
After Adam Shell departed suddenly from the job a month before the 2016/17 season, Butenschon became the interim head coach with the pressure on to rebound from a poor 11-18-5-0 season prior. Butenschon would come through for the T-Birds, coaching his way to a 17-17-2-0 season and allowing the Thunderbirds to return to the playoffs to face Calgary — though they ultimately dropped the series 2-0.
With the 2016/17 season only allowing for a month of Butenschon prep time, the 2017/18 season is one you can say he truly owns.
A hot 7-1-0-0 start in Canada West (featuring two Calgary forfeits for inelligible players) shot UBC into the upper echelons of Canada West hockey. UBC was beating teams like the best teams in the league are expected to, but the Remembrance Day weekend match-up against Saskatchewan was the stark reminder of the level of competition in the division.
After losing twice to Saskatchewan, UBC would lose the next six games, riding a wave of disappointing results into winter break. It was at this point that I’m sure Butenschon gave his most impressive motivational speech, as after splitting a 2018 opening-year series with Calgary, UBC would rattle off seven straight wins, including a weekend sweep over second place Saskatchewan.
UBC would finish the season strong, splitting a series with a Mount Royal team gunning for the playoffs and another weekend split with Canada West’s number one team Alberta.
After finishing fourth in the standings, the ‘Birds earned the right to host another playoff series against Calgary.
With revenge on Butenschon’s mind, UBC drew first blood 4-1 but lost game two in an effort that was one of the team’s flattest of the year, losing 6-3. Game three was a close back and forth until a third-period bounce went Calgary’s way, ending UBC’s season.
Overall, Butenschon should be happy with his performance this year. He has a steady hand that’s guiding force will surely be a good thing for the men’s hockey program.
Next year, Butenschon will be responsible for replacing a starting goaltender and choosing a new captain as Matt Hewitt and Wes Vannieuwenhuizen both graduate this year — critical roles that leave big holes to be filled.
It will all be in hopes of returning to the playoffs and, hopefully, having the third time be the charm in defeating Calgary.