Felix Potvin

By Brad Berreman
Love of Sports Correspondent

During the 1992-93 NHL season, a great crop of rookies hit the ice.

Future stars Eric Lindros, Scott Neidermayer and Teemu Selanne all were rookies that season, scoring goals seemingly at will and becoming perennial All-Stars.

The standout rookie goaltender that year? Felix “The Cat” Potvin of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Potvin played in 48 games his rookie season, compiling 25 wins, a 2.50 GAA (goals against average) and a .910 save percentage while leading the Maple Leafs to the Western Conference Finals. In fact, he led the NHL in GAA in ‘93 and was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, given to the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.  Selanne and his rookie-record 76 goals for Winnipeg ended up winning the award.

The next season, The Cat was once again stellar. He had 34 wins, a 2.89 GAA and made his first of two NHL All-Star Games, once again leading Toronto to the Western Conference Finals.

During the first round playoff series against the Blackhawks, Potvin posted three shutouts, all by 1-0 margins, in his duel with Chicago goaltender Ed Belfour.

During the 1998-99 season, Potvin was traded to the New York Islanders after the Maple Leafs signed Curtis Joseph during the offseason, which made him expendable. He’d be traded again during the 1999-2000 season, this time to the Vancouver Canucks.

After struggling in Vancouver, he was once again moved during the 2000-2001 season, this time to Los Angeles.

Potvin made an immediate impact with the Kings in the season’s final 23 games, posting 13 wins, five shutouts and a 1.96 GAA in leading the team to the playoffs and a first round upset of the Detroit Red Wings. Later in that same playoff run, he shutout the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche twice as the Kings pushed the ‘Lanche to a Game 7.

Los Angeles made the playoffs again in 2002 and again took the Avalanche to a Game 7 before losing for a second straight year.

Potvin signed with the Boston Bruins for the 2003-2004 season, which was his last in the NHL.

For his continued strong presence across the league throughout his career, we’re sending some Old School Love to Felix “The Cat” Potvin today.