Change was imminent this offseason for men's hockey head coach Mike Eaves, who had seven seniors graduate from a team that played in the national title game and lost two more underclassmen (so far) who decided to forgo a year of eligibility and sign professional contracts.
Eaves has also been charged with the task of replacing his top two assistant coaches after Kevin Patrick was named the head coach of a new USHL team in Muskegon, Mich., and Mark Osiecki landed the head coaching job at Ohio State, leaving two gaping holes on the Badger bench that were filled recently.
Gary Shuchuk and Bill Butters will each enter their first seasons in Madison with plenty of coaching experience and WCHA ties. Shuchuk won a national championship with the Badgers in 1990 as a dynamic scorer and First Team All-American forward. He led the team with a whopping 41 goals and 80 points as a senior. Shuchuk has since coached extensively in the U.S. Development program and was a candidate for the assistant coaching job that Eaves eventually gave to Osiecki in 2004.
Butters played for the arch-rival Gophers and served as an assistant coach there from 1985-1995. He will be responsible for focusing on the Badger's defensive corps.
