USA Hockey announced on Monday that Hershey Bears forward Chris Bourque, Milwaukee Admirals forward Bobby Butler and San Jose Barracuda forward John McCarthy have been named to the 2018 U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team.
Bourque, 31, leads the American Hockey League in scoring in 2017-18 with 39 points (11 goals, 28 assists) in 35 contests for Hershey. The Boston, Mass., native is tied for 27th on the AHL’s all-time scoring list with 678 career points and ranks 19th with 448 assists in 693 career games with Hershey, Hartford, Providence and Portland.
The 13th-year pro won AHL MVP honors in 2015-16 and has captured two scoring titles (2011-12, 2015-16), three Calder Cup championships (2006, 2009, 2010) and one postseason MVP award (2010). Bourque has also played in five AHL All-Star Classics and has been named a First Team AHL All-Star three times.
In addition to his regular-season scoring, Bourque is the AHL’s all-time leader in playoff assists (82) and ranks fourth in points (117) and second in games played (133) in Calder Cup Playoff history.
Butler, 30, has 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 32 games with Milwaukee this season. An AHL All-Star in 2011 and 2013, Butler has totaled 100 goals and 91 assists for 191 points in 253 career games with Milwaukee, San Antonio, Albany and Binghamton.
The native of Marlborough, Mass., won a Calder Cup with Binghamton in 2011.
McCarthy, 31, has tallied five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 29 games with San Jose this season, his ninth pro campaign. In 465 career AHL games with San Jose and Chicago, McCarthy has registered 108 goals and 141 assists for 249 points.
A native of Boston, McCarthy is in his second season as captain of the Barracuda.
The Team USA roster features 17 players with AHL experience, including seven former AHL All-Stars and two AHL MVP’s (Bourque, Brian O’Neill).
