Sven Butenschön is in his first campaign as the head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds men’s hockey program. He served as the team’s full-time assistant coach last season, helping the T-Birds to a Canada West playoff berth.
The 12th Thunderbirds head coach since the start of Canada West hockey in 1961, he brings to the UBC bench a wealth of experience from around the world.
Butenschön spent his major junior hockey career with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League, competing in two Memorial Cups.
The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted Butenschön in 1994, selecting him in the third round of the NHL Entry Draft with the 57th pick.
He began his professional career in 1996 with the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League. It was the beginning of a nine-season professional career in North America, which saw Butenschön play 140 games with four National Hockey League teams: Pittsburgh, Edmonton, the New York Islanders, and Vancouver, as well as teams in the International and American Hockey Leagues.
During the 2004-05 season, he played with Adler Mannheim of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL). He then spent five more seasons, beginning in 2006, with the team, before finishing his career by playing two years with the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers.
Internationally, Butenschön represented Germany at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, as well as the 2009 and 2010 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships.
