Felix Potvin
Encyclopedia
Félix "The Cat" Potvin (born June 23, 1971) is a former National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...

.

QMJHL career

From 1988 through to 1991 Potvin played with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens
Chicoutimi Saguenéens
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Chicoutimi, Quebec . The team plays its home games at the Centre Georges-Vézina.-History:...

, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...

 (QMJHL) team. In the 1990–1991 season Potvin was awarded the Guy Lafleur Trophy
Guy Lafleur Trophy
The Guy Lafleur Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. It is named for Hockey Hall of Famer and QMJHL alumnus Guy Lafleur.-Winners:-External links:* List of trophy winners....

 as Playoff MVP.

NHL career

Potvin was drafted in the 2nd round, 31st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in the 1990 NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 entry draft. In the 1991–1992 season, Potvin played 35 games for the St. John's Maple Leafs
St. John's Maple Leafs
The St. John's Maple Leafs were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada at Memorial Stadium from 1991–2001, and at Mile One Stadium from 2001–2005.-History:...

, compiling a 2.93 GAA. For his efforts, Potvin was awarded the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (rookie of the year), the Baz Bastien
Baz Bastien
Aldege "Baz" Bastien was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, head coach and general manager. He played five games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1945, but received most of his playing accolades while with the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League...

 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.

It wasn't until the 1992–1993 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
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...

 to the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...

. That season, Potvin also backstopped the Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

 conference finals, only to lose to the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in a grueling seven game series. His efforts did not go in vain, however. His dynamic performance made him a finalist for the Calder Trophy.

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
Kirk McLean
Kirk Alan McLean is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...

 then NHL record for most wins in October with nine. He was also voted to his first NHL All-Star Game. In the 1993–94 playoffs, Potvin recorded 3 shutouts in the first-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

, all by a 1–0 margin, including the final NHL game ever played at the illustrious Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....

. He also became the first Maple Leafs goaltender to stop a penalty shot in a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

 Playoff game, when he stopped Chicago's Patrick Poulin
Patrick Poulin
Patrick Poulin is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 634 games in the National Hockey League between 1991 and 2002...

. Potvin again brought his team to the conference finals, this time losing to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

 in five games.

In the 1995–1996 season, Potvin was selected to his 2nd NHL All-Star Game. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs exited in the first round of the playoffs.

In the 1996–1997 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
Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...

 during his stint with the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...

.

In the 1998–1999 season, Toronto signed free agent Curtis Joseph
Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....

, leaving Potvin expendable. He would play in only 5 games due to a knee injury, before he and 6th round pick (Fedor Fedorov) were traded to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 for defenceman Bryan Berard
Bryan Berard
Bryan Wallace Berard is a former American professional ice hockey player. He was the first overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators. He is most noted for a debilitating eye injury he received early in his career...

 and a 6th round pick. Despite the new surroundings, Potvin was unable to reclaim the success he had earlier in his career.

In the 1999–2000 season, Potvin, a 2nd round, and 3rd round draft pick were traded to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

 for Kevin Weekes
Kevin Weekes
Kevin Weekes is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who most recently played for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . He is now a color commentator on Hockey Night in Canada, and a studio analyst for NHL on the Fly.- Player :Weekes' career began with the Owen...

, Dave Scatchard
Dave Scatchard
Dave Scatchard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He played in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Phoenix Coyotes, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues...

 and Bill Muckalt
Bill Muckalt
Bill Muckalt is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Muckalt played in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild from 1998 until 2003.-Playing career:...

. Potvin struggled with the Canucks and in the 2000–2001 season he was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings for future considerations. Immediately, Potvin made an impact in a Kings uniform. He led the Kings to the 7th seed, recording 13 wins and 5 losses, and a remarkable 1.96 GAA and a .919 save %. Potvin led the Kings to a first-round upset of the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

, and pushed the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

, to a 7th game, recording 2 shutouts in that series.

Potvin again led the Kings to the 2002 playoffs, where they pushed the Colorado Avalanche to seven games in the 1st round.

In September 2003, Potvin was signed to a 1-year contract by the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

. He backed-up Calder Trophy Winner Andrew Raycroft
Andrew Raycroft
Andrew Joseph Ernest Raycroft is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins 135th overall in 1998, he won the Calder Trophy with the club in 2004 as rookie of the year...

 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. Potvin has not played for an NHL team since the 2003–04 season.

Early in the 2005–06 season, the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...

 were in talks with Potvin in hopes of signing him after starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen
Kari Lehtonen
Kari Lehtonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League...

 and backup goaltender Mike Dunham
Mike Dunham
Michael Dunham is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently the goaltending coach for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

 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.

Coaching

Potvin currently lives with his family in Magog, Quebec
Magog, Quebec
Magog is a city in southeastern Quebec, Canada, about east of Montreal at the confluence of Lake Memphremagog--after which the city was named—with the Rivière aux Cerises and the Magog River...

, and is a goalie coach for the midget AAA Magog Cantonniers.

Awards

  • 1995–1996 NHL All-Star Team
  • 1993–1994 NHL All-Star Team
  • 1992–1993 NHL All-Rookie Team
  • 1991–1992 AHL Dudley "Red" Garret Memorial Trophy
  • 1991–1992 AHL Baz Bastien Memorial Trophy
  • 1990–1991 CHL Goaltender of the Year
  • 1990–1991 QMJHL Jacques Plante Trophy
  • 1990–1991 QMJHL Guy Lafleur Trophy
  • 1990–1991 QMJHL Hap Emms Trophy

Regular season

Season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....

SV%
Save percentage
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...

1988–89
1988–89 QMJHL season
The 1988–89 QMJHL season was the 20th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The QMJHL first awards the end-of-season honours of the "Rookie All-star team" to first year players....

Chicoutimi Saguenéens
Chicoutimi Saguenéens
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Chicoutimi, Quebec . The team plays its home games at the Centre Georges-Vézina.-History:...

QMJHL 65 25 31 1 3489 271 2 4.46
1989–90
1989–90 QMJHL season
The 1989–90 QMJHL season was the 21st season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurates five new awards for accomplishments during the season. Shell Canada sponsored two Shell Cup "Player of the Year" awards, one each for offensive and defensive players....

Chicoutimi Saguenéens QMJHL 62 31 26 2 3478 231 2 3.99
1990–91
1990–91 QMJHL season
The 1990–91 QMJHL season was the 22nd season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurates the St-Clair Group Plaque, awarded to the "Marketing Director of the Year." Dilio and Lebel divisions are restored as the league adds an expansion franchise in Beauport,...

Chicoutimi Saguenéens QMJHL 54 33 15 4 3216 145 6 2.70 .910
1991–92
1991–92 AHL season
The 1991–92 AHL season was the 56th season of the American Hockey League. The league realigns from divisions into three divisions, creating the new Atlantic division. Fifteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Fredericton Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season...

St. John's Maple Leafs
St. John's Maple Leafs
The St. John's Maple Leafs were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada at Memorial Stadium from 1991–2001, and at Mile One Stadium from 2001–2005.-History:...

AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

34 18 10 6 2070 101 2 2.93 .908
1991–92 Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 4 0 2 1 210 8 0 2.29 .933
1992–93
1992–93 AHL season
The 1992–93 AHL season was the 57th season of the American Hockey League. Sixteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Binghamton Rangers finished first overall in the regular season with 124 points, a which holds to this day...

St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 5 3 0 2 309 18 0 3.50 .894
1992–93 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 48 25 15 7 2781 116 2 2.50 .910
1993–94 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 66 34 22 9 3883 187 2 2.89 .907
1994–95 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 36 15 13 7 2144 104 0 2.91 .907
1995–96 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 69 30 26 11 4009 192 2 2.87 .910
1996–97 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 74 27 36 7 4217 224 0 3.15 .908
1997–98 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 67 26 33 7 3864 176 5 2.73 .906
1998–99 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 5 3 2 0 299 19 0 3.81 .866
1998–99 New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 11 2 7 1 606 37 0 3.66 .893
1999–00 New York Islanders NHL 22 5 14 3 1273 68 1 3.21 .892
1999–00 Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

NHL 34 12 13 7 1996 85 0 2.59 .906
2000–01 Vancouver Canucks NHL 35 14 17 3 2006 103 1 3.08 .887
2000–01 Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 23 13 5 5 1410 46 5 1.96 .919
2001–02 Los Angeles Kings NHL 71 31 27 8 4071 157 6 2.31 .907
2002–03 Los Angeles Kings NHL 42 17 20 3 2367 105 3 2.66 .894
2003–04 Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

NHL 28 12 8 6 1605 67 4 2.50 .903
NHL totals 636 266 260 85 36765 1694 32 2.76 .905

Playoffs

Season Team League GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1990–91 Chicoutimi Saguenéens QMJHL 16 11 5 992 46 0 2.78
1991–92 St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 11 7 4 642 41 0 3.83
1992–93 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 21 11 10 1308 62 1 2.84 .903
1993–94 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 18 9 9 1124 46 3 2.46 .912
1994–95 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 7 3 4 424 20 1 2.83 .921
1995–96 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 6 2 4 350 19 0 3.27 .904
2000–01 Los Angeles Kings NHL 13 7 6 812 33 2 2.44 .909
2001–02 Los Angeles Kings NHL 7 3 4 417 15 1 2.16 .925
NHL totals 72 35 37 4435 195 8 2.64 .910

External links

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