Ryan Potulny

Ryan Potulny (born September 5, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey center. He is currently an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota men's ice hockey team.

Playing career Potulny was drafted in the third round, 87th overall, at the 2003 NHL entry draft by the Philadelphia Flyers after playing two years with the USHL's Lincoln Stars. He spent the next three seasons playing collegiate hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, recording 68 goals and 50 assists for a total of 118 points in 100 games. Potulny ranked first in the nation with 38 goals and 63 points during his last season with the Gophers, 2005–06, and was named an All-WCHA First Team Honoree and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

Potulny signed a 2-year entry-level contract with the Flyers on March 29, 2006. and also recording his first point. He split the 2006–07 season with the Flyers and the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms.

On April 24, 2008, Potulny scored the game-winning goal at 2:58 in the fifth overtime in Game 5 of the East Division Semifinals. The game's total time was 142:58, at that time an AHL record for longest game.

Potulny was traded from the Flyers to the Edmonton Oilers on June 6, 2008 in exchange for Danny Syvret. He then signed a one-year deal with the Oilers on June 14, 2008.

On September 8, 2010, Potulny signed a one-year two-way contract as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks. He ultimately played in only three games with the Blackhawks, spending much of the season with their AHL affiliate in Rockford.

On February 28, 2011, Potulny was traded to the Ottawa Senators along with a second round draft pick in the 2011 entry draft in return for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2012 entry draft and Chris Campoli.

On July 1, 2011, Potulny signed a two-year two-way contract worth $525,000 per year with the second year on a one-way basis, with the Washington Capitals. He was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears for the duration of his contract with the Capitals.

Upon completion of his contract with the Capitals, Potulny signed in Russia as a free agent on a one-year deal with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League on May 30, 2013. Potulny sought a release from his contract with Omsk just three months later, having never featured in the KHL, before belatedly returning to the Bears for the remainder of the season on December 22, 2013.

After three seasons with the Hershey Bears, Potulny signed a one-year AHL contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack, an affiliate of the New York Rangers on August 6, 2014.

On June 11, 2015, Potulny left North America to sign a one-year contract with Finnish club, Lahti Pelicans of the top-tier Liiga.

On 28 August 2017, Potulny agreed a deal with the Braehead Clan of the United Kingdom's Elite Ice Hockey League. Potulny retired at the conclusion of the season to take up an assistant coach role at the University of Minnesota.

Family He is the younger brother of Grant Potulny, an Ottawa Senators draft pick in 2000 and a former assistant coach with the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team from 2014 to 2017. Grant is currently the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2000–01 Red River High School USHS — — — — — — — — — — 2001–02 Lincoln Stars USHL 60 23 34 57 65 4 1 0 1 2 2002–03 Lincoln Stars USHL 54 35 43 78 18 10 6 11 17 8 2003–04 Minnesota Golden Gophers WCHA 15 6 8 14 10 — — — — — 2004–05 Minnesota Golden Gophers WCHA 44 24 17 41 20 — — — — — 2005–06 Minnesota Golden Gophers WCHA 41 38 25 63 31 — — — — — 2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 2006–07 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 30 12 14 26 34 — — — — — 2006–07 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 35 7 5 12 22 — — — — — 2007–08 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 58 21 26 47 51 12 3 5 8 10 2007–08 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 7 0 1 1 4 — — — — — 2008–09 Springfield Falcons AHL 70 38 24 62 62 — — — — — 2008–09 Edmonton Oilers NHL 8 0 3 3 2 — — — — — 2009–10 Springfield Falcons AHL 14 3 5 8 8 — — — — — 2009–10 Edmonton Oilers NHL 64 15 17 32 28 — — — — — 2010–11 Rockford IceHogs AHL 58 18 23 41 30 — — — — — 2010–11 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2010–11 Ottawa Senators NHL 7 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2010–11 Binghamton Senators AHL 13 3 5 8 4 23 14 12 26 12 2011–12 Hershey Bears AHL 61 33 32 65 32 5 2 2 4 0 2012–13 Hershey Bears AHL 66 19 22 41 30 5 0 2 2 2 2013–14 Hershey Bears AHL 38 3 7 10 10 — — — — — 2014–15 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 25 2 3 5 10 7 0 0 0 0 2015–16 Pelicans Liiga 60 13 23 36 30 9 2 2 4 4 2016–17 Mountfield HK ELH 18 3 5 8 8 — — — — — 2016–17 EHC Black Wings Linz EBEL 35 12 17 29 14 5 1 0 1 0 2017–18 Braehead Clan EIHL 37 7 18 25 14 — — — — — NHL totals 126 22 27 49 54 — — — — — AHL totals 433 152 161 313 257 52 19 21 40 24

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2010 United States WC 13th 6 2 2 4 0 Senior totals 6 2 2 4 0

Awards and honors Award Year USHL Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award 2002–03 All-WCHA Third Team 2004–05 All-WCHA First Team 2005–06 AHCA West First-Team All-American 2005–06 WCHA All-Tournament Team 2006 AHL All-Star Classic 2008–09'