United States Hockey League (USHL) Senior Director of Player Personnel Frank Butler has accepted an additional position as a part-time regional scout with NHL Central Scouting for the 2026–27 season.
 

In this new role, Butler will help NHL Central Scouting identify, evaluate, and assess draft-eligible players throughout his assigned region. His responsibilities will include attending games, evaluating prospects, compiling scouting reports, and providing insight as part of the NHL’s broader evaluation process in advance of the NHL Draft.
 

Butler will continue in his current role as Senior Director of Player Personnel while taking on the additional scouting responsibilities with NHL Central Scouting.
 

“Frank has earned tremendous respect throughout the hockey community for his knowledge of players, his work ethic, and his ability to evaluate talent,” USHL President and Commissioner Glenn Hefferan said. “His appointment to NHL Central Scouting reflects the NHL's confidence in his judgment and expertise. We are proud to see Frank receive this opportunity and pleased that he will continue bringing that experience and perspective to his important work with the USHL and our players.”
 

Throughout his career, Butler has built extensive experience in player evaluation, scouting, recruiting, and player development. His work has allowed him to evaluate players at multiple levels of the game while building relationships with coaches, scouts, advisors, players, and organizations throughout the hockey community. The opportunity with NHL Central Scouting represents another step in Butler's career and a chance to contribute his experience and perspective to identifying and evaluating the next generation of NHL prospects.
 

"I am incredibly honored and excited to have the opportunity to join NHL Central Scouting," Butler said. "Scouting and evaluating players has been a huge part of my career, so to have the opportunity to contribute at this level means a great deal to me. I have been fortunate to learn from so many great people throughout the game."
 

He will begin his NHL Central Scouting duties during the 2026–27 hockey season while continuing in his current role with the USHL.
 

About the USHL
 

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 315 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and nine of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).
 

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 90% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).