Botterill Follows Berenson, Pays Tribute to Ice Hockey Mentor
8/16/2017 10:16:00 AM | Ice Hockey, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Jason Botterill smiled and laughed when his mentor's comments at his retirement press conference were mentioned. University of Michigan ice hockey coach Red Berenson had joked about how he got his degree and MBA from the school to prepare for life after hockey, and how, at age 77, that was finally going to occur.
It turns out that Botterill, recently named general manager of the Buffalo Sabres, might end up following Berenson's path in academics and hockey closer than any other Wolverine. Botterill also returned to earn his MBA at Michigan. But while Berenson began that pursuit fresh off a Stanley Cup celebration as a player with the Montreal Canadiens, Botterill did so after his NHL career ended because of injuries and concussions in 2005.
Though, while surveying numerous possibilities outside of the game, Botterill realized just how much he loved hockey and decided to mix business with the sport -- something that he said "never crossed my mind" when playing college hockey.
"And even when I started grad school," said Botterill, "I never thought I was going to get back into sports. It was over with. But in that first year, instead of focusing on the financial markets, I was focusing on hockey highlights and what was going on in the sport. During that first year in business school, I realized I had contacts in the industry, and from a negotiation and evaluation standpoint, I felt there was a lot I had that could transfer over to hockey.
"When I was going through business school, I was up on the CBA (NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement) and the salary cap world. So, I researched salary cap management and it turned out to be a very good match for my skills."
Berenson influenced him as much or more in education than he did as a player.
"Coach (Berenson) emphasized things to me as an undergrad and also was a huge help during my application process," said Botterill. "He wrote a great letter of recommendation that had a huge influence on getting into the graduate program.
"This is exactly what Coach (Berenson) put an emphasis on with us, that there are things beyond your control, and no one can predict if you are going to hit all your dreams as a pro hockey player. I had some injuries and things didn't turn out as I anticipated. But I had my degree, and that kept doors open for me. The two years I spent going back to get my graduate degree were two of the best years of my life."
Botterill saw one door close and another one open.
"It took me a couple of years to recover (from the concussion)," he said, "but I have no lingering effects from it. And if I had taken one more hit, I might not have looked back as fondly on my playing career. I listened to the doctors and got back to business school, and started on my second career here.
"It was certainly a blessing in disguise."Â
The result of his new journey, which included winning three Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a key cog in the front office, was being named general manager of the Sabres May 11. At 41, only one NHL GM is younger.
"It's certainly a hectic time," said Botterill. "You're winning the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh, and then this opportunity presents itself. But I'm prepared to be a GM and have been through some great experiences under some great leaders in Pittsburgh. And now I have a great opportunity with solid ownership to build something special here in Buffalo in the next few years."
Botterill speaking at the 2017 Red Berenson tribute dinner alongside Blake Sloan and Bob Gassoff
What about his Michigan experience -- which included helping bring Berenson his first national championship in 1996 and scoring 104 goals -- most prepared him for such a position at such a young age?
Botterill said it was Berenson: "He helped me so much, especially being a forward. There were so many little things, like the systems that we played and the attacking style. The fact that Coach also played that position helped me in playing in front of the net and in the corners."
Botterill was chosen to speak at the Aug. 4 dinner program to honor Berenson, and he cut to the core of what Berenson meant to him in front of the hockey family that included 155 former players in attendance.
"I can talk about things in my own career and how he helped me get into business school," said Botterill, who then made eye contact with Berenson.
"But the bottom line, Coach, is that I owe my family to you because I married a Michigan girl, a gymnast, Andrea Botterill. And we have two beautiful girls, 5 and 1 1/2, and I started dating Andrea at Christmas of my senior year. You created a program where I never wanted to leave.
"After my first year, I was fortunate enough to be a first-round draft pick (by the Dallas Stars in 1994), unfortunate enough to have an unbelievable sophomore slump and the Stars wanted me out of here. But I stayed. After my junior year, when we were fortunate enough to win a (national) championship, I felt like maybe it was time to move on. But I thought that this is where I wanted to be. I wanted to graduate with my classmates and be part of the program you created. And in response, I found the girl I wanted to marry, and every morning when I wake up and hug my daughters, I'm very thankful I stayed at Michigan for four years."
Spontaneous applause erupted.
Botterill remained composed and added, "So, Coach, from the bottom of my heart, wherever I go in my travels in the industry I'm in, I'm very, very proud to say that I'm a Michigan man. Thanks for creating this program."
He learned how to build a team and prepare for life after hockey from Berenson. And like his mentor, he appears to have found a way to put that separation from the game he loves on permanent hold.
Next: Read MGoBlue.com Friday (Aug. 18) to learn how Botterill has gone from NCAA champion to Stanley Cup champion and his plan to make the Buffalo Sabres winners again.
