Craig Button

Button began his NHL management career in 1988 with the Minnesota North Stars. He was the Director of Scouting for Dallas Stars 1992–98, Director of Player Personnel for Dallas Stars 1998–2000. During this time, Button worked for hockey legends Bobby Clarke and Bob Gainey. While with the Stars, the team participated in two Stanley Cup Finals, winning in 1999, and were recipients of the Presidents Trophy on two occasions. The list of players drafted during his tenure include Derian Hatcher, Jere Lehtinen, Jamie Langenbrunner, Marty Turco, Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow.

He replaced Al Coates as the Vice President and General Manager of the Calgary Flames in 2000. Button held that position until the conclusion of the 2002–03 NHL season, when his contract was not renewed and was replaced with Darryl Sutter who Button had hired as Head Coach in December 2002.[3] During the 2003–04 NHL season the Flames made it to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was a guiding force for the Flames' primary development team Saint John Flames of the American Hockey League when they captured the Calder Cup championship in 2001. During his tenure as GM of the Calgary Flames, Button put and lost future Hall of Famer, Martin St. Louis, on waivers,[4] traded future Conn Smythe winner J.S. Giguere to the Anaheim Ducks for a second round pick[5] in order to protect Fred Brathwaite in the expansion draft, and traded Marc Savard to the Atlanta Thrashers for Ruslan Zainullin.[6] After his departure from the Flames he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2004 as a scout.[7]

Button is currently TSN's Director of Scouting, drawing on his intimate knowledge of the game and its players to deliver insight on the NHL's top prospects.[8] He is also a key analyst on TSN's That's Hockey.

Prior to joining TSN, Button was an analyst on the NHL Network show NHL on the Fly.[9]