Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 18:31
By Andrew Vitalis
Grant Potulny defines himself as a family man first. As for hockey? Call it 1A. Now married with two kids, the 28-year-old finds himself having to balance the two these days.
Things were much simpler when Potulny was playing for the University of Minnesota between 2000-04, helping the Gophers to back-to-back National Championships.
Presently, the Grand Forks native is in his fifth professional season, currently playing with the Norfolk Admirals. Five years removed from the college game, the Admirals are the sixth different team he’s played for. The third team this season alone (Potulny began the season in Europe before signing with San Antonio). Sometimes career and family have a hard time getting along with one another.
“It’s been tough at times. At the beginning of this season, when we decided to go over there (Duisburg, Germany) and play, we were excited,” commented Potulny. “The living situation was different there. My son has asthma and we were never really able to find a good place to live with that. We had some medical concerns with where we were living. We came back because of those concerns. My agent set up a deal with San Antonio. Right when my wife was ready to move down there, I got traded. It’s definitely a business. I’ve been traded twice and it’s difficult, especially if you have a family. You have to make the best of it.”
And he has. Potulny admits the trade was good for his family and also for his career. Still trying to catch up from all of the traveling, he was traded to Norfolk on Nov. 26. Right out of the gates, he made his presence known by netting a goal and adding an assist in his first game with the team. Seventeen games later, Potulny has continued to produce, averaging just under one point per game.
“I think part of it is I’ve played in this division before, I’ve played in every building and I know what to expect,” stated Potulny, when asked about his recent surge. “Before, when I was in the west, everything was new to me. With this move, things just seem normal again. Things really seem like they have been coming together because of that.”
Let’s be honest; there have been very few moments throughout his career when things haven’t been clicking for Potulny. After spending four seasons at the “U,” Potulny skated right into the pros. During his first full season as a professional with the Binghamton Senators (AHL), he played in 50 games, scoring 10 points. More impressive than that, as a rookie, Potulny compiled an eye-popping 104 penalty minutes. Call the 2004-05 season an adjustment period for him.
“I think anybody that says they don’t have an adjustment their first year is fooling themselves,” mentioned Potulny. “You go from playing at most 40 games in college where your body is in tip-top shape, you’re getting plenty of rest. Then you come to this level and you hit a wall 40 to 50 games into the season. It’s a big adjustment. You have to learn how to teach your body to react to that pace.”
Potulny proved he was a quick learner. In season two, Potulny strapped on the skates for 78 games, scoring 23 goals and adding 23 more assists. In addition, always playing at 110 percent, Potulny racked up 122 penalty minutes. So much for a sophomore jinx. “Guys who have played for a lot of years, you kind of put yourself in a different mental state, you’re always thinking about the game, preparing yourself for your next workout or practice,” commented Potulny. “You realize pretty quick that this is your job.”
That job kept him in Binghamton for one more season before he signed a one-year deal with Hershey in 2007. As if he hadn’t done enough traveling, Potulny was loaned to Springfield during that season. With the Falcons, he scored four goals in one game in February of 2008. It was the second four-goal game of his career. Yes it’s true, with 268 games under his belt in an AHL uniform, Potulny has experienced just about everything.
“If you play the game long enough, you’re going to see and be a part of a lot of things. I’ve been fortunate enough to be on winning teams. You learn that if you stay around long enough, you’re going to see the other side of the coin,” smiled Potulny. “The two four-goal games I had were pretty cool. The one thing I still haven’t been a part of, I haven’t been on a (AHL) team yet where we’ve had a chance to win everything. I’m still looking for that chance to win everything as a team. After all, the reason we all play is to win.”
Oh, there is one more thing on Potulny’s checklist…. the NHL. While he admits his time is running out, he’ll also tell you his outlook has changed throughout the years. While making it to the NHL is still important, it’s no longer the most important thing to him.
“For some people it comes easy, for some it comes hard, and for some it doesn’t come at all. I still want to make it to theNHL, but it’s almost more important to me now to be a good team leader and help the younger guys,” remarked Potulny. “It’s really fun to be around some of the younger guys and help them learn the game. It’s funny because some of the guys turn pro when they’re 20, so in reality, this is like my eighth year (as a pro). Hopefully someday they’ll pass along that knowledge to someone else and give back.”
As for the future? Potulny is a free agent at the end of the season. Something tells me he’ll have help deciding what to do, or possibly where to go next.
“I want to keep doing what I’m doing as long as my family is behind it,” added Potulny. “I don’t know how my son would take it if he had to stop going to daddy’s games. My wife has been the most supportive, unbelievable person ever. She’s shown that she will go to the end of the earth to support me. In the end, you have to look at your options and decide what’s best for your family. That is what’s really important.”
Family first.
