Felix Potvin

Jump to content
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Felix Potvin
Potvin with the St. John's Maple Leafs
Born (1971-06-23) June 23, 1971 (age 54)
Anjou, Quebec, Canada
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight191 lb (87 kg; 13 st 9 lb)
PositionGoaltender
CaughtLeft
Played forToronto Maple Leafs
New York Islanders
Vancouver Canucks
Los Angeles Kings
Boston Bruins
National team Canada
NHL draft31st overall, 1990
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career1991–2004

Felix "The Cat" Potvin (born June 23, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Early career

[edit]

As a youth, Potvin played in the 1983 and 1984 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Mercier, Quebec.[1]

From 1988 through to 1991 Potvin played with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team. In the 1990–91 season Potvin was awarded the Guy Lafleur Trophy as Playoff MVP.[2]

NHL career

[edit]

Potvin was drafted in the second round, 31st overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1990 National Hockey League entry draft on June 16, 1990. In the 1991–92 season, Potvin played 35 games for the St. John's Maple Leafs, compiling a 2.93 GAA. For his efforts, Potvin was awarded the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (rookie of the year), the Baz Bastien Memorial Trophy as the top goaltender in the AHL and selected to the AHL First All-Star Team. During that season, Potvin was called up to the NHL and saw brief action in 4 games, compiling a 2.28 GAA and a .933 save percentage.[citation needed]

It wasn't until the 1992–93 season that Potvin became a regular in the NHL. That season he played 48 games, compiling a 2.50 GAA (1st in the NHL) and a solid .910 save %. The rapid acceleration of his development led the coaching staff to establish him as their #1 goaltender and prompted the trade of Grant Fuhr to the Buffalo Sabres on February 2, 1993. That season, Potvin also backstopped the Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup conference finals, only to lose to the Los Angeles Kings in a grueling seven-game series. His dynamic performance made him a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy.[citation needed]

In the 1993–94 season, Potvin silenced any doubts of a sophomore jinx. He posted 34 wins and a solid 2.89 GAA, including tying Kirk McLean's then NHL record for most wins in October with nine.[3] He was also voted to his first NHL All-Star Game in which his mask art was voted leagues best. In the 1993–94 playoffs, Potvin recorded 3 shutouts in the first-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks, all by a 1–0 margin, including the final NHL game ever played at the illustrious Chicago Stadium. He also became the first Maple Leafs goaltender to stop a penalty shot in a Stanley Cup Playoff game, when he stopped Chicago's Patrick Poulin. Potvin again brought his team to the conference finals, this time losing to the Vancouver Canucks in five games.[citation needed]

In the 1995–96 season, Potvin was selected to his 2nd NHL All-Star Game. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs exited in the first round of the playoffs. The following season, with the aging of the defense corps in front of him, Potvin and the Maple Leafs would miss the playoffs. He would set an NHL record for most shots faced in a season, 2,438, later broken by Roberto Luongo during his stint with the Florida Panthers. On July 15, 1998, Toronto signed free agent Curtis Joseph, leaving Potvin expendable. He would play in only 5 games due to a knee injury, before he and a sixth-round pick (Fedor Fedorov) were traded to the New York Islanders for defenceman Bryan Berard and a sixth-round pick, on January 9, 1999. Despite the new surroundings, Potvin was unable to reclaim the success he had in Toronto.[citation needed]

The next season, on December 19, 1999, Potvin, and second and third-round draft picks were traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Kevin Weekes, Dave Scatchard, and Bill Muckalt. Potvin struggled with the Canucks and in the 2000–01 season he was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings for future considerations on February 15, 2001. Immediately, Potvin made an impact leading the Kings to the 7th seed, recording 13 wins and 5 losses. He had a remarkable 1.96 GAA and a .919 save %. Potvin led the Kings to a first-round upset of the Detroit Red Wings, and pushed the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche to a 7th game in the second round, recording 2 shutouts in that series. Game 6 of that series was a memorable duel between Potvin and Colorado goalie Patrick Roy, which the Kings and Potvin won 1–0 in double overtime.[citation needed]

Potvin again led the Kings to the 2002 playoffs, where they pushed the Colorado Avalanche to 7 games (rallying from a 3–1 series deficit) in the 1st round.[citation needed]

On September 3, 2003, Potvin was signed to a one-year contract by the Boston Bruins. He backed-up Calder Memorial Trophy Winner Andrew Raycroft during the 2003–04 season. Coincidentally, Raycroft broke Potvin's record for consecutive games played by a Maple Leafs goalie during the 2006–07 season. Early in the 2005–06 season, the Atlanta Thrashers were in talks with Potvin in hopes of signing him after starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen and backup goaltender Mike Dunham went down with injuries. However, Potvin did not have equipment that conformed to the new NHL standards, nor did he wish to accept the two-way contract that was being offered to him, so the Thrashers instead decided to sign Steve Shields.[citation needed]

International Play

[edit]

Potvin played at the 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, as a member of the Canadian team, where he won a gold medal. He served as a backup to Trevor Kidd.[4]

Felix would also play for Canada at the 1998 IIHF World Championship.[5]

Coaching

[edit]

Potvin currently lives with his wife Sabrina Tardif, and his three children Noemie, Xavier, and Felicia in Magog, Quebec, where he is the head coach for the midget AAA Magog Cantonniers who placed second at both the 2018 and 2019 Telus Cup.[6][7]

Career statistics

[edit]

Regular season and playoffs

[edit]
Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1988–89Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL6525311348927124.46.868————————
1989–90Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL6231262347823123.99.8857344372903.98.880
1990–91Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL5433154321614562.70.910161159924602.78.901
1990–91Chicoutimi SaguenéensMC—————————312174802.76
1991–92St. John's Maple LeafsAHL3418106207010122.93.90811746424103.83.895
1991–92Toronto Maple LeafsNHL4021210802.29.933————————
1992–93St. John's Maple LeafsAHL53023091803.50.894————————
1992–93Toronto Maple LeafsNHL4825157278111622.50.91021111013086212.84.903
1993–94Toronto Maple LeafsNHL6634229388318722.89.907189911244632.46.912
1994–95Toronto Maple LeafsNHL3615137214410402.91.9077344242012.83.921
1995–96Toronto Maple LeafsNHL69302611400919222.87.9106243501903.27.904
1996–97Toronto Maple LeafsNHL7427367421722403.15.908————————
1997–98Toronto Maple LeafsNHL6726337386417652.73.906————————
1998–99Toronto Maple LeafsNHL53202991903.81.866————————
1998–99New York IslandersNHL112716063703.66.893————————
1999–2000New York IslandersNHL22514312736813.21.892————————
1999–2000Vancouver CanucksNHL341213719968502.59.906————————
2000–01Vancouver CanucksNHL3514173200610313.08.887————————
2000–01Los Angeles KingsNHL23135514104651.96.91913768123322.44.909
2001–02Los Angeles KingsNHL7131278407115762.31.9077344171512.16.925
2002–03Los Angeles KingsNHL4217203236710532.66.894————————
2003–04Boston BruinsNHL28128616056742.50.903————————
NHL totals6352662608536,7651,694322.76.9057235374,43519582.64.910

International

[edit]
YearTeamEventGPWLTMINGASOGAA
1991CanadaWJC280302.25
1998CanadaWC4310240802.00

Awards

[edit]
  • 1995–96 NHL All-Star Game
  • 1993–94 NHL All-Star Game
  • 1992–93 NHL All-Rookie Team
  • 1991–92 AHL Dudley "Red" Garret Memorial Trophy
  • 1991–92 AHL Baz Bastien Memorial Trophy
  • 1990–91 CHL Goaltender of the Year
  • 1990–91 QMJHL Jacques Plante Trophy
  • 1990–91 QMJHL Guy Lafleur Trophy
  • 1990–91 QMJHL Hap Emms Trophy

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  2. ^ admin (2013-04-02). "Félix Potvin". LHJMQ. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  3. ^ Felix Potvin (1991-present)
  4. ^ "Canadian Gold: Remembering the 1991 World Junior Championship". 12 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Team Canada - World Championships 1998 - Player Stats".
  6. ^ "Le site officiel des Cantonniers de Magog". Archived from the original on 2017-01-04. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
  7. ^ Durocher, Pierre (21 October 2017). "Félix potvin et l'influence de Pat Burns". Le Journal de Montréal (in Canadian French). Retrieved 30 November 2018.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Felix_Potvin&oldid=1330093399"
    Felix Potvin
    Potvin with the St. John's Maple Leafs
    Born (1971-06-23) June 23, 1971 (age 54)
    Anjou, Quebec, Canada
    Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
    Weight191 lb (87 kg; 13 st 9 lb)
    PositionGoaltender
    CaughtLeft
    Played forToronto Maple Leafs
    New York Islanders
    Vancouver Canucks
    Los Angeles Kings
    Boston Bruins
    National team Canada
    NHL draft31st overall, 1990
    Toronto Maple Leafs
    Playing career1991–2004

    Felix "The Cat" Potvin (born June 23, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).

    Early career

    As a youth, Potvin played in the 1983 and 1984 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Mercier, Quebec.[1]

    From 1988 through to 1991 Potvin played with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team. In the 1990–91 season Potvin was awarded the Guy Lafleur Trophy as Playoff MVP.[2]

    NHL career

    Potvin was drafted in the second round, 31st overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1990 National Hockey League entry draft on June 16, 1990. In the 1991–92 season, Potvin played 35 games for the St. John's Maple Leafs, compiling a 2.93 GAA. For his efforts, Potvin was awarded the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (rookie of the year), the Baz Bastien Memorial Trophy as the top goaltender in the AHL and selected to the AHL First All-Star Team. During that season, Potvin was called up to the NHL and saw brief action in 4 games, compiling a 2.28 GAA and a .933 save percentage.[citation needed]

    It wasn't until the 1992–93 season that Potvin became a regular in the NHL. That season he played 48 games, compiling a 2.50 GAA (1st in the NHL) and a solid .910 save %. The rapid acceleration of his development led the coaching staff to establish him as their #1 goaltender and prompted the trade of Grant Fuhr to the Buffalo Sabres on February 2, 1993. That season, Potvin also backstopped the Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup conference finals, only to lose to the Los Angeles Kings in a grueling seven-game series. His dynamic performance made him a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy.[citation needed]

    In the 1993–94 season, Potvin silenced any doubts of a sophomore jinx. He posted 34 wins and a solid 2.89 GAA, including tying Kirk McLean's then NHL record for most wins in October with nine.[3] He was also voted to his first NHL All-Star Game in which his mask art was voted leagues best. In the 1993–94 playoffs, Potvin recorded 3 shutouts in the first-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks, all by a 1–0 margin, including the final NHL game ever played at the illustrious Chicago Stadium. He also became the first Maple Leafs goaltender to stop a penalty shot in a Stanley Cup Playoff game, when he stopped Chicago's Patrick Poulin. Potvin again brought his team to the conference finals, this time losing to the Vancouver Canucks in five games.[citation needed]

    In the 1995–96 season, Potvin was selected to his 2nd NHL All-Star Game. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs exited in the first round of the playoffs. The following season, with the aging of the defense corps in front of him, Potvin and the Maple Leafs would miss the playoffs. He would set an NHL record for most shots faced in a season, 2,438, later broken by Roberto Luongo during his stint with the Florida Panthers. On July 15, 1998, Toronto signed free agent Curtis Joseph, leaving Potvin expendable. He would play in only 5 games due to a knee injury, before he and a sixth-round pick (Fedor Fedorov) were traded to the New York Islanders for defenceman Bryan Berard and a sixth-round pick, on January 9, 1999. Despite the new surroundings, Potvin was unable to reclaim the success he had in Toronto.[citation needed]

    The next season, on December 19, 1999, Potvin, and second and third-round draft picks were traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Kevin Weekes, Dave Scatchard, and Bill Muckalt. Potvin struggled with the Canucks and in the 2000–01 season he was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings for future considerations on February 15, 2001. Immediately, Potvin made an impact leading the Kings to the 7th seed, recording 13 wins and 5 losses. He had a remarkable 1.96 GAA and a .919 save %. Potvin led the Kings to a first-round upset of the Detroit Red Wings, and pushed the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche to a 7th game in the second round, recording 2 shutouts in that series. Game 6 of that series was a memorable duel between Potvin and Colorado goalie Patrick Roy, which the Kings and Potvin won 1–0 in double overtime.[citation needed]

    Potvin again led the Kings to the 2002 playoffs, where they pushed the Colorado Avalanche to 7 games (rallying from a 3–1 series deficit) in the 1st round.[citation needed]

    On September 3, 2003, Potvin was signed to a one-year contract by the Boston Bruins. He backed-up Calder Memorial Trophy Winner Andrew Raycroft during the 2003–04 season. Coincidentally, Raycroft broke Potvin's record for consecutive games played by a Maple Leafs goalie during the 2006–07 season. Early in the 2005–06 season, the Atlanta Thrashers were in talks with Potvin in hopes of signing him after starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen and backup goaltender Mike Dunham went down with injuries. However, Potvin did not have equipment that conformed to the new NHL standards, nor did he wish to accept the two-way contract that was being offered to him, so the Thrashers instead decided to sign Steve Shields.[citation needed]

    International Play

    Potvin played at the 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, as a member of the Canadian team, where he won a gold medal. He served as a backup to Trevor Kidd.[4]

    Felix would also play for Canada at the 1998 IIHF World Championship.[5]

    Coaching

    Potvin currently lives with his wife Sabrina Tardif, and his three children Noemie, Xavier, and Felicia in Magog, Quebec, where he is the head coach for the midget AAA Magog Cantonniers who placed second at both the 2018 and 2019 Telus Cup.[6][7]

    Career statistics

    Regular season and playoffs

    Regular seasonPlayoffs
    SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
    1988–89Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL6525311348927124.46.868————————
    1989–90Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL6231262347823123.99.8857344372903.98.880
    1990–91Chicoutimi SaguenéensQMJHL5433154321614562.70.910161159924602.78.901
    1990–91Chicoutimi SaguenéensMC—————————312174802.76
    1991–92St. John's Maple LeafsAHL3418106207010122.93.90811746424103.83.895
    1991–92Toronto Maple LeafsNHL4021210802.29.933————————
    1992–93St. John's Maple LeafsAHL53023091803.50.894————————
    1992–93Toronto Maple LeafsNHL4825157278111622.50.91021111013086212.84.903
    1993–94Toronto Maple LeafsNHL6634229388318722.89.907189911244632.46.912
    1994–95Toronto Maple LeafsNHL3615137214410402.91.9077344242012.83.921
    1995–96Toronto Maple LeafsNHL69302611400919222.87.9106243501903.27.904
    1996–97Toronto Maple LeafsNHL7427367421722403.15.908————————
    1997–98Toronto Maple LeafsNHL6726337386417652.73.906————————
    1998–99Toronto Maple LeafsNHL53202991903.81.866————————
    1998–99New York IslandersNHL112716063703.66.893————————
    1999–2000New York IslandersNHL22514312736813.21.892————————
    1999–2000Vancouver CanucksNHL341213719968502.59.906————————
    2000–01Vancouver CanucksNHL3514173200610313.08.887————————
    2000–01Los Angeles KingsNHL23135514104651.96.91913768123322.44.909
    2001–02Los Angeles KingsNHL7131278407115762.31.9077344171512.16.925
    2002–03Los Angeles KingsNHL4217203236710532.66.894————————
    2003–04Boston BruinsNHL28128616056742.50.903————————
    NHL totals6352662608536,7651,694322.76.9057235374,43519582.64.910

    International

    YearTeamEventGPWLTMINGASOGAA
    1991CanadaWJC280302.25
    1998CanadaWC4310240802.00

    Awards

    • 1995–96 NHL All-Star Game
    • 1993–94 NHL All-Star Game
    • 1992–93 NHL All-Rookie Team
    • 1991–92 AHL Dudley "Red" Garret Memorial Trophy
    • 1991–92 AHL Baz Bastien Memorial Trophy
    • 1990–91 CHL Goaltender of the Year
    • 1990–91 QMJHL Jacques Plante Trophy
    • 1990–91 QMJHL Guy Lafleur Trophy
    • 1990–91 QMJHL Hap Emms Trophy

    References

    1. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
    2. ^ admin (2013-04-02). "Félix Potvin". LHJMQ. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
    3. ^ Felix Potvin (1991-present)
    4. ^ "Canadian Gold: Remembering the 1991 World Junior Championship". 12 December 2020.
    5. ^ "Team Canada - World Championships 1998 - Player Stats".
    6. ^ "Le site officiel des Cantonniers de Magog". Archived from the original on 2017-01-04. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
    7. ^ Durocher, Pierre (21 October 2017). "Félix potvin et l'influence de Pat Burns". Le Journal de Montréal (in Canadian French). Retrieved 30 November 2018.
    • Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
    • Felix Potvin's biography at The Goaltender Home Page
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Felix_Potvin&oldid=1330093399"