Chris Serino 1949-2012

Former Merrimack College head coach and University of New Hampshire assistant coach Chris Serino passed away on Monday after a long battle with throat cancer, according to USCHO.com and other published sources.

The hockey coach and athletic director at Malden Catholic High School at the time of his passing, Serino, 63, is survived by his wife, Robin, and their five sons. He also served as hockey coach at Northfield Mount Hermon in his career before going to the college ranks, and had previous scholastic coaching stints at both Salem High and Saugus High.

"The thoughts and prayers of the Merrimack College Hockey Program go out to Coach Serino's family," head coach Mark Dennehy said in a statement on the Merrimack athletics web site. "Anyone who knew Coach Serino understood the passion and fight with which he coached. He will be missed."

A native of Saugus, Mass., and a 1971 graduate of American International College, where he played football, hockey and baseball, Serino coached hockey at Merrimack from 1999 to 2005, fashioning a 77-150-27 record and six appearances in the Hockey East tournament. He previously served as head baseball coach at UNH, and led the Wildcats to a school-record 26 wins in 1995. UNH no longer fields an intercollegiate varsity baseball team.

"He was a great guy and a great coach," said UNH head hockey coach Dick Umile of Serino, who was on Umile's staff from 1991 to 1998. "He was a tremendous athlete and a personal friend of mine; I go way back with him. The fans, the Friends of UNH Hockey, he really got along with the community. He fought a courageous battle with cancer and it came back in the last year-and-a half and really had a battle with it."

After leaving Merrimack, Serino coached  at Malden Catholic from 2005 to 2012, and guided the Lancers to their first-ever Super 8 Championships in both 2011 and 2012. He also coached two of his five sons during his tenure, in which he compiled a 95-32-18 overall mark at the school in Malden, Mass.

Serino will be remembered at UNH's Hockey East opener on Oct. 20 against Boston University, and again at Merrimack's home opener on Oct. 26 against Vermont.

Devils Sign Former UNH Sniper Butler

The New Jersey Devils, looking to replenish some firepower after losing former captain Zach Parise  to free agency this summer, yesterday signed former University of New Hampshire star Bobby Butler to a one-year, two-way contract.

Butler, 25, a native of Marlborough, Mass., was bought out by Ottawa in July after tallying six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 56 NHL games with the Senators last season. He registered 10-11--21 points in 2010-11 with Ottawa, and had 22-11--33 totals in 47 AHL games with its Binghamton affiliate that same winter.

“He signed a two-way (contract), so we’ll just see what develops, but he has the potential of being a top-six forward," said Devils President/GM Lou Lamoriello to The Record.

The six-foot, 180-pound forward, who prepped with the Boston Jr. Bruins before going to UNH, played four years for head coach Dick Umile and the Wildcats. He posted 61-60--121 points in 153 collegiate outings from 2006 to 2010, and helped the Wildcats to four NCAA Tournament berths and three Hockey East Association regular-season championships.

Butler definitely saved his best for last, notching 29-24--53 points in 39 contests as a senior while helping UNH to the 2009-10 Hockey East Association regular-season championship and the NCAA East Regional Final. He also earned Hockey East Player of the Year and First Team All-America accolades, and had two goals and one assist in a 6-2 regional semifinal win over Cornell.

Now he'll be looking to recapture some of his scoring magic in Newark.

“It’s going to be really up to him,” said Lamoriello. “He’ll be given every opportunity.”