University of Minnesota Athletics
Trail Blazer; Sophomore Forward Grant Potulny
1/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Let's start with the first area of attention. When word came that Grant Potulny was headed to the University of Minnesota to play hockey, a mild buzz was created, partly about his great play and partly about where he was from. Under former coach Doug Woog, the policy on recruiting players was to keep everything in-state. As far as the Minnesota borders stretched is where the coaches went, looking for top-notch, home-bred players, and this system worked well due to the great high school programs established throughout the state. But when current head coach Don Lucia took over the program, he wanted to push recruiting a little further, geographically.
There was a player in the USHL system on the Lincoln Stars team that caught Lucia's attention. His name was Grant Potulny and he was - gasp! - from North Dakota. The last time anyone wore the Maroon and Gold without being a native of the state, Grant was six-years-old. However, when asked about being the lone Minnesota-outsider, Potulny doesn't notice it now, nor does he see it as an issue when more out-of-state or even out-of-country players join the Golden Gophers on the ice. "I never really felt it was a big issue. As long as anyone gives us a chance to succeed and win - I'm all for it."
Once Potulny committed to playing for Minnesota, he began to draw more attention, but this time it was for his production during games. During his freshman year, he played in all 42 games. During those games, he totaled 33 points with 22 goals and 11 assists, which ranked second among WCHA freshmen and fifth on the team. He led the Golden Gophers in game-winning goals with five. But the most impressive feat during Potulny's first season could have been his 16 power-play goals, the total that led the nation and is the fourth-highest in a single season in the University's history. Those accomplishments resulted in Grant being named as a WCHA All-Rookie team selection and the team's Frank Pond Rookie of the Year.
Potulny credits two years of play for the Lincoln Stars in the USHL as a major boost to his play during his first collegiate season. After graduating from Grand Forks Red River High School, he looked to playing in the USHL as a way to better prepare himself for Division I play. And even though he began college as a 20-year-old freshman, the two years he spent in Lincoln were invaluable when it came to playing for the University of Minnesota. "Playing in the USHL has a ton of impact on anything I achieve in college. I think the USHL is the best of the leagues. It preps you to play every night. You play 70 games in a season, night after night, and you go out there every time playing hard," Potulny commented.
By no means did Potulny have an "average" first year in collegiate play. When asked about his freshman year, Potulny responds, "I hope to keep building. Last year things went my way and it wasn't very realistic. If I weren't playing with players like Westy [former Golden Gopher Erik Westrum] it might have been a different year. I hope to keep improving over my years here and get better every season."
After such a season, most people would feel pressure to get out on the ice their sophomore year and contribute immediately. But Grant was not like most people, "I didn't feel any pressure. If anything, it was the same amount as last year. Pressure is something that you put on yourself. You put pressure on yourself to produce."
Maybe it was Potulny's ability to make things happen on the ice. Maybe it was the way he handled pressure. Maybe it was his willingness to speak up in the locker room. Most likely it was a combination of these things that led to Potulny being named an assistant captain during the 2001-02 season, the first sophomore assistant captain Minnesota has seen since Allan Opsahl in 1944-45. Whatever the reason, he was flattered and feels it was a privilege to have such a responsibility placed in his hands. When first told the news, his reaction was one of disbelief. "I was lost. I had no idea. I didn't even think about it. When they told me, it took me a minute to realize it. I didn't really understand and was at a complete loss for words."
Although his selection as a co-captain may have left him momentarily speechless, senior captain and roommate Jordan Leopold commented that Grant's verbal contributions are a large part of what makes him such a good leader. "He is definitely more vocal. Grant's always in there speaking up. He's a really intense player and takes things to heart. With him it's `do or die.' I've never seen him not give 100 percent. If something needs to get done, Grant puts the responsibility on himself to get it done."
Sophomore teammate, and also a roommate, Troy Riddle, agreed with Leopold, "Grant's very verbal in the locker room. He's a great `team guy.' If anyone needs to stand up for our team, he's always the first to speak up. He's one of the hardest workers we have, on and off the ice."
Potulny was the first to admit that his leadership style involved more talking than his teammates might be used to. His teammates' nickname of "Papa" may be appropriate, with Grant being the vocal patriarch of the team, dispensing advice and commentary. But a verbal player is how he has been throughout his career. "I'm always bumping my gums before games. Yelling and being loud - I've always been like that," Potulny said.
However loud he may be with his team or in the locker room, when a person first meets Grant, he usually strikes them as a quiet guy. Which, according to his third roommate, sophomore forward Matt Koalska, is how he tends to be around people he doesn't know. But Potulny is quick to open up. "Once you get to know him, he's a good guy. He's entertaining - always cooking weird things or running off to do something. [Laughing] Sometimes he gets crabby and he has a problem where it's his way or no way. But overall he's a good guy," Koalska said.
While rooming with three teammates and living on the same block as three others, Potulny has formed a strong bond with the guys with which he shares the ice. When asked about the stellar play of the six players that make up the sophomore class of the Golden Gophers, he didn't talk about anything having to do with hockey. "When I'm done here what I'll remember is not the goals, but the times living together. All six of us live on the same block. Doing dumb things, having fun - those are the things that I'll really remember."
To Potulny, it feels like hockey has been with him his entire life. He didn't remember when he started. This seemingly natural team leader who has been able to gracefully cope with the all attention that has followed him throughout his less than two seasons of Minnesota hockey didn't remember what drew him to hockey as a kid or how he got started in the sport. But he knows why he keeps lacing up the skates. When asked to describe the sport of hockey in one word, he paused, looked up and with a grin said, "Exciting. Every time I go out there and play someone, whether they are a top team or one of the worst, before the game I still get nervous. The goose bumps and my stomach in knots are still there. It's always exciting."
As long as Grant Potulny keeps putting on the Maroon and Gold jersey, he will fill both fans and teammates with that same excitement for the game.
OUTTAKES WITH GRANT POTULNY
Power Play Magazine: Is there any story behind the number 18?
Grant Potulny: There were no picks left. I wanted to be number 21, but Troy [Riddle] got it before me. And he wanted number 9, but Johnny [Pohl] already had that. Maybe next year we'll all switch.
PPM: Oh, don't do that. It will be too confusing. If Riddle scores a goal, we'll think it's Pohl and then we'll realize he graduated. And then we'll have to figure that he's no longer 21 - that Potulny is. Everyone will be confused.
GP: Riddle from.Riddle? It might take some getting used to.
PPM: Speaking of Troy Riddle, why is he sitting on your lap in the team poster?
GP: That's not the picture I wanted them to put in there. We took one where I was using a blowtorch on my stick and the cord was in Joey [Martin's] mouth and he was acting like he was being electrocuted. That one was great.
PPM: I'm sure parents would love their children imitating that.
PPM: Give me your top five warm-up songs.
GP: Let's see."Black Betty" by Ram Jam - that would be number one. No, number one would be "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC - [during USHL] everyone in Lincoln would run and hide when they heard that one. Then "Start it Up" by the [Rolling] Stones. And "Hells Bells" by AC/DC. I can only think of four.
PPM: We can work with that.
PPM: Any nicknames?
GP: Oh yeah: Pops, Papa, Old Man. Joey calls me "Old Man Winter." That's his favorite.
PPM: Why?
GP: I don't know. He always says "Zip or I'll break your hip, old man" from Big Daddy.
PPM: Makes perfect sense.
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Courtney Walerius At first, the attention came with being the first non-Minnesotan player to put on a Golden Gopher hockey jersey in 13 years. Then, the attention came when, as a freshman, he led the nation in power play goals with 16. The spotlight was brightened when, at the end of last season, sophomore forward Grant Potulny was chosen as an assistant captain. The last time the University had a sophomore assistant captain was over 50 years ago. But when asked about his many accomplishments, the Grand Forks, N.D. native will look down, shake his head and start talking about his teammates and hard work, the love he has for his classmates, and the excitement he still feels each time he steps on the ice.
Let's start with the first area of attention. When word came that Grant Potulny was headed to the University of Minnesota to play hockey, a mild buzz was created, partly about his great play and partly about where he was from. Under former coach Doug Woog, the policy on recruiting players was to keep everything in-state. As far as the Minnesota borders stretched is where the coaches went, looking for top-notch, home-bred players, and this system worked well due to the great high school programs established throughout the state. But when current head coach Don Lucia took over the program, he wanted to push recruiting a little further, geographically.
There was a player in the USHL system on the Lincoln Stars team that caught Lucia's attention. His name was Grant Potulny and he was - gasp! - from North Dakota. The last time anyone wore the Maroon and Gold without being a native of the state, Grant was six-years-old. However, when asked about being the lone Minnesota-outsider, Potulny doesn't notice it now, nor does he see it as an issue when more out-of-state or even out-of-country players join the Golden Gophers on the ice. "I never really felt it was a big issue. As long as anyone gives us a chance to succeed and win - I'm all for it."
Once Potulny committed to playing for Minnesota, he began to draw more attention, but this time it was for his production during games. During his freshman year, he played in all 42 games. During those games, he totaled 33 points with 22 goals and 11 assists, which ranked second among WCHA freshmen and fifth on the team. He led the Golden Gophers in game-winning goals with five. But the most impressive feat during Potulny's first season could have been his 16 power-play goals, the total that led the nation and is the fourth-highest in a single season in the University's history. Those accomplishments resulted in Grant being named as a WCHA All-Rookie team selection and the team's Frank Pond Rookie of the Year.
Potulny credits two years of play for the Lincoln Stars in the USHL as a major boost to his play during his first collegiate season. After graduating from Grand Forks Red River High School, he looked to playing in the USHL as a way to better prepare himself for Division I play. And even though he began college as a 20-year-old freshman, the two years he spent in Lincoln were invaluable when it came to playing for the University of Minnesota. "Playing in the USHL has a ton of impact on anything I achieve in college. I think the USHL is the best of the leagues. It preps you to play every night. You play 70 games in a season, night after night, and you go out there every time playing hard," Potulny commented.
By no means did Potulny have an "average" first year in collegiate play. When asked about his freshman year, Potulny responds, "I hope to keep building. Last year things went my way and it wasn't very realistic. If I weren't playing with players like Westy [former Golden Gopher Erik Westrum] it might have been a different year. I hope to keep improving over my years here and get better every season."
After such a season, most people would feel pressure to get out on the ice their sophomore year and contribute immediately. But Grant was not like most people, "I didn't feel any pressure. If anything, it was the same amount as last year. Pressure is something that you put on yourself. You put pressure on yourself to produce."
Maybe it was Potulny's ability to make things happen on the ice. Maybe it was the way he handled pressure. Maybe it was his willingness to speak up in the locker room. Most likely it was a combination of these things that led to Potulny being named an assistant captain during the 2001-02 season, the first sophomore assistant captain Minnesota has seen since Allan Opsahl in 1944-45. Whatever the reason, he was flattered and feels it was a privilege to have such a responsibility placed in his hands. When first told the news, his reaction was one of disbelief. "I was lost. I had no idea. I didn't even think about it. When they told me, it took me a minute to realize it. I didn't really understand and was at a complete loss for words."
Although his selection as a co-captain may have left him momentarily speechless, senior captain and roommate Jordan Leopold commented that Grant's verbal contributions are a large part of what makes him such a good leader. "He is definitely more vocal. Grant's always in there speaking up. He's a really intense player and takes things to heart. With him it's `do or die.' I've never seen him not give 100 percent. If something needs to get done, Grant puts the responsibility on himself to get it done."
Sophomore teammate, and also a roommate, Troy Riddle, agreed with Leopold, "Grant's very verbal in the locker room. He's a great `team guy.' If anyone needs to stand up for our team, he's always the first to speak up. He's one of the hardest workers we have, on and off the ice."
Potulny was the first to admit that his leadership style involved more talking than his teammates might be used to. His teammates' nickname of "Papa" may be appropriate, with Grant being the vocal patriarch of the team, dispensing advice and commentary. But a verbal player is how he has been throughout his career. "I'm always bumping my gums before games. Yelling and being loud - I've always been like that," Potulny said.
However loud he may be with his team or in the locker room, when a person first meets Grant, he usually strikes them as a quiet guy. Which, according to his third roommate, sophomore forward Matt Koalska, is how he tends to be around people he doesn't know. But Potulny is quick to open up. "Once you get to know him, he's a good guy. He's entertaining - always cooking weird things or running off to do something. [Laughing] Sometimes he gets crabby and he has a problem where it's his way or no way. But overall he's a good guy," Koalska said.
While rooming with three teammates and living on the same block as three others, Potulny has formed a strong bond with the guys with which he shares the ice. When asked about the stellar play of the six players that make up the sophomore class of the Golden Gophers, he didn't talk about anything having to do with hockey. "When I'm done here what I'll remember is not the goals, but the times living together. All six of us live on the same block. Doing dumb things, having fun - those are the things that I'll really remember."
To Potulny, it feels like hockey has been with him his entire life. He didn't remember when he started. This seemingly natural team leader who has been able to gracefully cope with the all attention that has followed him throughout his less than two seasons of Minnesota hockey didn't remember what drew him to hockey as a kid or how he got started in the sport. But he knows why he keeps lacing up the skates. When asked to describe the sport of hockey in one word, he paused, looked up and with a grin said, "Exciting. Every time I go out there and play someone, whether they are a top team or one of the worst, before the game I still get nervous. The goose bumps and my stomach in knots are still there. It's always exciting."
As long as Grant Potulny keeps putting on the Maroon and Gold jersey, he will fill both fans and teammates with that same excitement for the game.
OUTTAKES WITH GRANT POTULNY
Power Play Magazine: Is there any story behind the number 18?
Grant Potulny: There were no picks left. I wanted to be number 21, but Troy [Riddle] got it before me. And he wanted number 9, but Johnny [Pohl] already had that. Maybe next year we'll all switch.
PPM: Oh, don't do that. It will be too confusing. If Riddle scores a goal, we'll think it's Pohl and then we'll realize he graduated. And then we'll have to figure that he's no longer 21 - that Potulny is. Everyone will be confused.
GP: Riddle from.Riddle? It might take some getting used to.
PPM: Speaking of Troy Riddle, why is he sitting on your lap in the team poster?
GP: That's not the picture I wanted them to put in there. We took one where I was using a blowtorch on my stick and the cord was in Joey [Martin's] mouth and he was acting like he was being electrocuted. That one was great.
PPM: I'm sure parents would love their children imitating that.
PPM: Give me your top five warm-up songs.
GP: Let's see."Black Betty" by Ram Jam - that would be number one. No, number one would be "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC - [during USHL] everyone in Lincoln would run and hide when they heard that one. Then "Start it Up" by the [Rolling] Stones. And "Hells Bells" by AC/DC. I can only think of four.
PPM: We can work with that.
PPM: Any nicknames?
GP: Oh yeah: Pops, Papa, Old Man. Joey calls me "Old Man Winter." That's his favorite.
PPM: Why?
GP: I don't know. He always says "Zip or I'll break your hip, old man" from Big Daddy.
PPM: Makes perfect sense.
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Courtney Walerius
