VALENCIA — Butler’s hockey numbers keep going up. So do the wins.

For the first time in years, the Golden Tornado hockey program is putting three full teams — varsity, junior varsity and middle school — on the ice and each team sports a winning record this season.

That’s a far cry from two years ago, when Mike Guentner took over a Butler varsity team during a season that resulted in only one victory.

“The main thing we had to do that year was make the rest of the season fun so the talented players on the team would return the following year,” Guentner said.

Butler rebounded to post a 10-11 varsity record in Guentner’s first full season as head coach, including a trip to the PIHL playoffs for the first time since 2004 — when he was a standout defenseman on the team.

“We had to change the culture of the program ... basically, there was no culture,” Guentner said. “It was a club sport. You signed up, put on a jersey, played for a few months and called it a season.

“There was no pride, no passion in the program.”

This year, there’s plenty of both.

Butler’s varsity team is 7-6 thus far. The junior varsity is 8-5 and the middle school squad is 11-5. All three teams have full rosters as 52 players are in the Tornado hockey program.

Two years ago, there were approximately 35 players in the system.

“We used to have to call players up to the next team to fill out a roster for a game,” middle school coach Rob Quinn said. “Now, we have some guys ready to move up and there’s no spots available.”

Quinn has been involved in the Butler hockey organization for 10 years.

“Mike makes the time to come to a JV and middleschool practice once in a while to talk to the kids,” Quinn said. “He cares about the entire program and when he talks, the kids listen.

“He’s a younger coach who knows how to relate to the kids.”

Trevor Gilliland, an eighth-grader, led PIHL middle school hockey with 76 points last season. He is among the scoring leaders this year with 25 goals and 40 points. Cameron Barto is an eighth-grade defenseman who may impact the varsity team within the next two years.

At the JV level, sophomore center Brendan Ackelson leads the Tornado in scoring. Freshman winger Josh McGowan is another young, upcoming talent.

Butler junior varsity coach Matt Gurgillo coached JV hockey at South Park and Pine-Richland before joining Butler.

“I love the direction this program is headed in,” Gurgillo said. “Butler is such a big school district, the numbers are going to be there. You just have to keep them involved with the high school program.”

Guentner pointed out that with no ice rink in Butler, a gap between the Golden Tornado and Class AAA powers like Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon and North Allegheny will always be there.

“Those programs have ice either right there or right next door,” Guentner said. “Our kids are looking at an hour’s drive round-trip just to get to practice (at the Ice Connection.).

“When it’s snowy and cold, getting 100 percent attendance at a practice just isn’t going to happen. That retards the development of players and of the team.”

The coach believes Butler’s numbers are up because the level of play by the Pittsburgh Penguins is up.

“There’s a direct correlation there with all high school programs around here,” he said. “I was a product of the Mario Lemieux era and our numbers were good.

“When the Penguins went bad for a few years, the number of high school hockey players dropped significantly. Now those numbers are back up again with the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin era.”

With more kids playing hockey, fewer open roster spots exist on travel teams.

“More kids are playing high school hockey as a result,” Gurgillo said. “Travel rosters are filling up quicker.”

Butler’s varsity has seven players — forwards Connor Scott, Nick Whann, Joseph DiMartino, Troy Double, Marcus McCall and Tanner Chuba, defenseman Jonathan Fair — with between 10 and 19 points this season.

“Gritty is the word we rally around,” Guentner said. “It’s a hard-working, unselfish bunch.”

While Guentner encourages players to aspire to the next level, he holds himself to the same standard.

“In terms of high school hockey, this is where I want to be,” he emphasized. “But if an opportunity arose to coach junior hockey or another higher level, sure, I’m going to look at it.

“But being able to coach at my alma mater and help elevate this program ... It’s a lot of fun.”