<p><p>SEATTLE – Jason Botterill enrolled at Michigan at only 17, a rarity in the sport then and now.</p></p><p><p>As a freshman, Botterill was a 21-goal scorer and first on the team in penalty minutes (94). Classmate and fellow forward Brendan Morrison said the smart, studious kid was often the one calling the shots.</p></p><p><p>“He actually was given the nickname ‘Sir,’ ” Morrison said. “We still always refer to him as ‘Sir.’ ‘Yes, Sir.’ He was always the one making the plans. Always had the itinerary, always ran a tight ship.</p></p><p><p>“Even though he was the youngest one, he was probably the most organized.”</p></p><p><p>Men’s hockey has a robust network of junior leagues that players don’t always leave right away, so college freshman are often at least 19 or 20.</p></p><p><p>As the transfer portal churns, it seems like a quaint concept. But the nine classmates remained at Michigan all four years and figured out adulthood together. They won the 1996 national championship as juniors. Both Morrison and Botterill wore letters for the Wolverines. Morrison won the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s top men’s hockey player and went on to enjoy a long NHL career, mostly with the Vancouver Canucks.</p></p><p><p>Morrison said their Michigan class remains close. The group chat lit up when “Sir,” now 49, got his second NHL GM job with the Seattle Kraken this spring.</p></p><p><p>“We figured it was just a matter of time,” Morrison said. “He was going to get another opportunity. It was just where was that going to be, and if it was the right situation for him.”</p></p><p><p>Botterill is still highly organized, and again calling the shots. With the teachings and encouragement of several well-known mentors, he is considering multiple plans, multiple timelines, depending on how things shake out. He took a job as an assistant Kraken GM in 2021 and put in the work behind the scenes to ultimately succeed Ron Francis.</p></p><p><p>“Something that I’ve always admired about Jason and respected about him is when he commits to something, he’s all in,” Morrison said. “He uncovers every stone, and he learns.”</p></p><p><p>Botterill was born in Edmonton, Alberta, while his father, Cal, was in grad school. Cal took a job as a professor at the University of Winnipeg and the family moved back to Manitoba to be closer to family. Jason calls Winnipeg his hometown.</p></p><p><p>Every member of the family has on-ice talent. Cal played hockey, while mom Doreen was a two-time Olympic speedskater turned elementary school teacher. Her sister Donna, Jason’s aunt, was also an Olympian in speedskating.</p></p><p><p>Younger sister Jennifer has four Olympic hockey medals, including three golds. Jennifer, 46, is based in Toronto and works with Sportsnet and TNT.</p></p><p><p>“We had a little room in our basement where she took shots on me back in the day,” Jason said. “She was a really good athlete at a young age.”</p></p><p><p>Cal is a well-known sports psychologist. His work got Jason close to national and Olympic teams across many sports. Jason got to attend the 1984 and 1988 Olympics with his father.</p></p><p><p>The fifth and final Canada Cup in 1991 brought Jason into the orbit of players such as Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky. He also got early insight into the minds of NHL players, knowledge he uses today while working with prospects.</p></p><p><p>“You realized that even these players at the NHL level, they don’t have everything set up,” Botterill said. “There’s still things to figure things out from that perspective. And so when I faced adversity, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, this is so unique to myself.’ ”</p></p><p><p>His parents prioritized education over hockey, and Botterill said Jeremy Roenick’s family helped guide him down the college track. At Michigan he majored in economics and wanted to finish his degree before turning pro. A first-round draft pick of the Stars in 1994, he made his debut with Dallas and appeared in 88 NHL games with four teams.</p></p><p><p>“But ran into some concussion issues, so I had to retire,” Botterill said. “Had to listen to the doctors. Went back to Michigan to grad school to get my MBA. I felt like that was going to be the end of (hockey). I’ll focus now, maybe, on corporate finance, commercial banking.”</p></p><p><p>But he was still passionate about the game. The salary cap era, which began just after Botterill retired, created new considerations for NHL teams. Botterill set out to understand the collective bargaining agreement “inside out, front to back,” Morrison said, and put his degree to use right out of graduate school. He took a job with the Pittsburgh Penguins. After an interview with Ray Shero and Chuck Fletcher at the 2007 draft, he was hired as their director of hockey operations.</p></p><p><p>“I was a part of every conversation,” Botterill said. “They listened to my opinion. Did they follow that opinion? Heck no. But I, at least, had a say in everything from: Are we going to sign Jordan Staal? Trade for Marian Hossa?”</p></p><p><p>That became a golden era for the Penguins franchise, which went on to win titles in 2016-17. Shero was a great mentor. Botterill was able to bend his ear until he died in April.</p></p><p><p>“He created such a family environment,” Botterill said. “I thought he did an amazing job of taking the time to hire the right people to come into his organization.”</p></p><p><p>Botterill was tasked with overseeing the progression of young talent in Wilkes-Barre Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Pittsburgh’s top affiliate played, plus salary-cap contract negotiations, working with the scouting department and taking a leading role in managing the staff. By the time he got his first GM job in Buffalo, he had “seen a lot of things.”</p></p><p><p>He was GM for the Sabres from 2017-20, one of many who have tried to help Buffalo end its ongoing NHL-record, 14-year playoff drought. The Sabres are tied with the New York Jets for the longest active playoff drought in pro sports. They succeeded in fits and starts under Botterill’s management, but clearly that wasn’t enough.</p></p><p><p>“Didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to in Buffalo,” Botterill said. “Learned from those experiences to hopefully be better here as a general manager in Seattle.”</p></p><p><p>He ascended to Kraken GM after four years in the organization, so he was able to skip the introductions. His predecessor, Francis, is now the president of hockey operations. Francis, with his relevant experience and different contacts, is usually nearby to offer advice if needed.</p></p><p><p>“Until you just sit in the chair, it’s difficult to truly understand how busy your days are going to be,” Botterill said. “Ray Shero (made a) point of making sure you have four or five different plans, because you never know how things can change, very quickly, on the fly.”</p></p><p><p>From childhood, he’s been taught by standouts in their respective fields. One of his dad’s mantras is “control what you can control.” Shero’s ideas and the environment he fostered in Pittsburgh sound similar to what Botterill is hoping to create in Seattle. The widespread hope is that he can get the Kraken back to the postseason, and quickly, after two weak seasons. But he said that can’t be the only goal.</p></p><p><p>“If you’re always focused on the outcome, you’re going to struggle,” Botterill said. “You focus on every day, the journey, the improvement.”</p></p><p><p>It might not be guidance in the traditional sense, but the Wolverines group chat is there to offer its thoughts as well.</p></p><p><p>“Obviously, we still gave him a hard time for what happened to Buffalo. I mean, that’s what friends do, right?” Morrison said.</p></p><p><p>“Couldn’t be happier for him. We’re absolutely thrilled, as a class, that he’s got another opportunity, and have full confidence that he’s going to do a great job.”</p></p>
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