WOLF PACK MAKE POTULNY TEAM’S EIGHTH HEAD COACH
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has named Grant Potulny Head Coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Potulny is the eighth head coach in Wolf Pack history.
Potulny, 44, has spent the last seven seasons as the Head Coach of Northern Michigan University. During that time, he guided the Wildcats to a record of 128-113-17 over the course of 258 games. The Wildcats won 20 games in back-to-back seasons, posting a record of 20-16-1 during the 2021-22 campaign and a record of 21-17-0 during the 2022-23 season. The Wildcats concluded the 2022-23 season by advancing to the CCHA Finals for the second time in three seasons.
Before joining the Wildcats, Potulny spent eight seasons as an Assistant Coach at the University of Minnesota. During his time with the Golden Gophers, Potulny helped the club capture six regular-season conference titles and qualify for the NCAA Tournament on five occasions.
Internationally, Potulny was an Assistant Coach for Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championships in 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2022. Team USA won the event in both 2013 and 2017.
Before joining the coaching ranks, the native of Grand Forks, ND, enjoyed a six-year playing career in the AHL. He appeared in 297 games, scoring 145 points (73 g, 72 a) with the Binghamton Senators, Hershey Bears, Springfield Falcons, San Antonio Rampage, and Norfolk Admirals.
Potulny was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round, 157th overall, of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.
Before turning pro, Potulny played four seasons with the Golden Gophers, scoring 116 points (68 g, 48 a). In 2002, Potulny was named the NCAA Tournament’s MVP, leading the Golden Gophers to an NCAA National Championship. The Golden Gophers repeated as National Champions in 2003, with Potulny earning MVP honors in the WCHA Tournament.
The Wolf Pack will open the home portion of their 2024-25 schedule on Friday, October 18th, at the XL Center! Full-season tickets, 20-game plans, 12-game plans, and flex plans for the 2024-25 season are on sale now! Visit hartfordwolfpack.com or call 860-722-9425 for more details!
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since its inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
