Marc Potvin
Marc R. Potvin ( born January 29, 1967 in Ottawa, Ontario, † January 13, 2006 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach, who from 1990 to 1996 among others for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Hartford Whalers and Boston Bruins played in the National Hockey League. He was the second cousin of the Hockey Hall of Fame member Denis Potvin and Jean Potvin of which were both also professional hockey players.
- 3.1 As a player
- 3.2 As a coach
Career
As a player
Potvin played between 1984 and 1986, initially for the Elmira Sugar Kings and Stratford Cullitons in the second division of the Ontario Hockey Association. He then moved for four years at an American college, which was not exactly common for Canadian junior players, as they mostly used to play in the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League. Already in the NHL Entry Draft in 1986, he was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the ninth round at 169th position. Therefore, the right winger ran between 1986 and 1990 on the ice hockey team of the Bowling Green State University. These were members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, one of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division. Potvin won with the team in the 1986/87 season the championship of the CCHA, before he left the team in early 1990 to pursue a career in the professional sector.
After Potvin had already come to the end of the season 1989/90 for the Adirondack Red Wings, the Detroit farm team in the American Hockey League action, he was from the autumn of 1990 established the franchise. In the course of the season he came both mainly in the AHL as well as sporadically in the NHL used. The same happened in the season 1991/92, which was crowned by winning the Calder Cup in the Adirondack Red Wings. After two and a half years in the organization Detroit this end January 1993 transferred him together with Jimmy Carson and Gary Shuchuk to the Los Angeles Kings, who sent in the " Motor City " in return, Paul Coffey, Sylvain Couturier and Jim Hiller. Potvins engagement in Los Angeles, however, lasted only nine months and 23 games since he was released in early November in exchange for Doug Houda to the Hartford Whalers. When the Whalers the Enforcer did his best season so far with five points in 51 games. His expiring contract, however, he did not renew and joined in the summer of 1994 for two years at the Boston Bruins. Due to the lockout, which delayed the start of the NHL season 1994/95, the Canadians took place after about one and a half years in the AHL again. He graduated from large parts of the game the year for the Providence Bruins in the AHL. For Boston he played six times. In the second year he went back often for the Bruins in the AHL on the ice. With 18 points from 48 matches and only 118 penalty minutes he played his best and last NHL season.
In the season 1996/97 Potvin found in the AHL with the Portland Pirates again. It was the best of his professional career with 32 points. The season 1997/98 for the Chicago Wolves of the International Hockey League was also the last of the 31 -year-old. He was crowned by winning the Turner Cup.
As a coach
After ending his career as an active athlete Potvin assisted in the 1998/99 season as coach of the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League, the farm team of his former clubs Detroit Red Wings. A year later, he became head coach of the Mississippi Sea Wolves in the East Coast Hockey League, with which he qualified for the playoffs right away. Despite the success, he moved already in the following season on the Springfield Falcons in the AHL and carefully trained for two years. However, the playoff qualification he could not celebrate with the team in two years. His involvement ended then the end of the season 2001 /02. After a year break, he took over during the 2003/ 04 season, the Adirondack IceHawks in the United Hockey League.
He coached them until his suicide on 13 January 2006. As the police investigation revealed the Canadians had hanged a few hours before the game his team against the Kalamazoo Wings on the shower head of his hotel room in Kalamazoo with a belt.
Awards and achievements
Career Stats
As a player
( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )