"It was kind of funny," Butcher said. "I was walking through the airport at like 11:30 at night. I don't know, it's just typical. You can't get anywhere these days with media. It's not a big deal."

While any team could offer him gear, none formed the bond he quickly established with New Jersey. He connected with GM Ray Shero and coach John Hynes. He bought what they were selling after seeing the team draft Nico Hischier first overall a year after acquiring Taylor Hall. Butcher liked the building process.

"Mr. Shero has done a tremendous job so far with that, taking the program where he wants to be and where everybody in the organization wants to be," Butcher said. "I saw that as part of the recruiting process and felt like I needed to be part of that. That was a huge factor in my decision."

Butcher is expected to key the Devils' power play, a process that will get started during this weekend's prospect tournament.

"Obviously, he's got to make the transition to pro hockey and you've got to be careful not to have too high of expectations, but there's no question he's a special talent," said Binghamton Devils coach Rick Kowalsky, who will run the prospect team. "He give us an element of not only puck mover but a PP specialist, and I think that's something that's been inconsistent.