Felix "The Cat" Potvin (born June 23, 1971) is a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
goaltender who played 14 seasons in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(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.
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.
NHL career
Potvin was drafted in the second round, 31st overall, by the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
in the 1990
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
entry draft. 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.
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
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
. That season, Potvin also backstopped the Maple Leafs to the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
conference finals, only to lose to the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...
in a grueling seven-game series. His dynamic performance made him a finalist for the
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving ...
.
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. 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
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
, 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
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
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
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...
in five games.
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. In the 1998–99 season, 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
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
for defenceman
Bryan Berard and a sixth-round pick. Despite the new surroundings, Potvin was unable to reclaim the success he had in Toronto.
The next season, Potvin, and second and third-round draft picks were traded to the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...
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. 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
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
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.
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.
In September 2003, Potvin was signed to a one-year contract by the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
. 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.
International Play
Potvin played at the
1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''1991 WJHC'') was the 15th edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was held in various communities in Saskatchewan, Canada. Canada won its second consecutive gold medal, and fifth o ...
, as a member of the Canadian team, where he won a gold medal. He served as a backup to
Trevor Kidd.
Felix would also play for Canada at the
1998 IIHF World Championship.
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
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
and 2019
Telus Cup.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
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
External links
*
Felix Potvin's biography at The Goaltender Home Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potvin, Felix
1971 births
Boston Bruins players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian ice hockey goaltenders
Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL) players
Ice hockey people from Montreal
Living people
Los Angeles Kings players
National Hockey League All-Stars
New York Islanders players
People from Anjou, Quebec
St. John's Maple Leafs players
Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks
Toronto Maple Leafs players
Vancouver Canucks players