BUTLER TWP — Vic Whann has been a Pittsburgh Penguins season ticket holder since the 1980s.

The Butler assistant hockey coach will have particular interest in Tuesday night’s game at the Consol Energy Center.

His son, Jake, a junior defenseman and team captain for the Golden Tornado, will be honored between the second and third periods as one of the PIHL Players of the Month for December.

Whann will be joined by fellow honorees Ryan Worsena of North Allegheny, Mike Shipley of Bethel Park and Justin Delmaster of Elizabeth Forward.

“It’s a short ceremony, but it’s really nice,” Vic Whann said. “I’ve seen the Penguins honor these high school kids before. They come onto the ice and their accomplishments are read over the PA system.

“Seeing my son honored like that will be a special night for me.”

Jake Whann’s statistics are modest. He has two goals and eight assists in 11 games.

His value to the Butler team is immense.

“Every shift of every game that kid gives all he’s got,” Butler coach Brad Posey said. “He’s a true leader by example. It was a no-brainer to select him as our captain.

“If our team was a little better, Jake’s value would stand out a lot more.”

Whann has served only one two-minute penalty in 11 games. He stands 5-feet-8 and weighs 143 pounds, making him one of the smallest defensemen in the PIHL.

Butler, which restarted its varsity team after a three-year hiatus, is 3-10 and has been outscored by 56 goals, the most of any Class AAA team.

“I knew we weren’t going to be all that good this year because we are still building,” Whann said. “But we’ve got some good players and I can see us improving.”

“Jake is a phenomenal skater,” Posey said. “He is what he needs to be. You don’t see many defensemen as physically small as he is be so effective.”

Whann is matched up against the opponent’s most potent scorer ever game. He scored three assists in a win over Seneca Valley, but said his efforts against Hempfield were more satisfying.

“They have one of the top scorers in the league (25-goal scorer Kyle Rosendale) and he scored only one goal when I was on the ice,” Whann said. “I was pretty proud of that.”

Whann, 17, began playing hockey at age 5 and has been a defenseman since age 6. He’s played for the Armstrong Arrows, the Butler Valley Dawgs and the Pittsburgh Huskies.

“Our schedule is pretty hectic, balancing the high school team with the Huskies and tournament play,” Vic Whann said. “Jake will probably play 70-plus games this season.”

Whann’s other son, freshman forward Nick, isn’t playing in Butler’s program this season to avoid an overbearing schedule. He is playing for the Huskies.

“I have little doubt he’ll be playing varsity for us next year,” Whann said of his younger brother.

Despite his nonstop hockey schedule, Jake Whann is maintaining a 4.285 grade-point average, ranks 16th in his class and aspires to be a chemist.

Whann also plays lacrosse for Butler and was a member of the Tornado’s WPIAL championship team last spring. He hopes to play Division II or club hockey in college.

The Penguins consider a player’s office achievements when presenting their player of the month awards.

“It’s nice to see my son get recognized for all of the work he puts in,” Vic Whann said.