Amy Potomak Explained

Birth Date:25 June 1999
Birth Place:Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada
Height Ft:5
Height In:9
Position:Forward
Shoots:Right
Sex:f
Career Start:2015

Amy Potomak (born June 25, 1999) is a Canadian ice hockey player. She played college ice hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program from 2018 to 2022, and with the Trinity Western Spartans women's ice hockey program during the 2022–23 season.

Playing career

At the 2014 British Columbia Winter Games, Potomak emerged with the gold medal. At the 2014 Stoney Creek Jr. Showcase, she was the event's leading scorer. She was a member of Team BC's women's ice hockey team at the 2015 Canada Winter Games.[1] Team BC finished the event in sixth place.

On November 24, 2016, it was announced that Potomak would affiliate with the Valley West Hawks, a U18 AAA boys' team from the BC Major Midget League. She was the third female player and first forward in league history to affiliate with a boys' team, following in the footsteps of defenceman Kaleigh Fratkin, who played with the Vancouver North West Giants during the 2009–10 season, and goaltender Kimberly Newell, who played with the Kootenay Ice during the 2011–12 season.[2] [3]

Hockey Canada

As a junior ice hockey player, Potomak was a member of the Canadian national under-18 team and participated in two IIHF U18 Women's World Championships, winning silver medals in both 2016 and 2017. At the 2017 tournament, she scored the game winning goal against Russia in the preliminary round and was selected as a top-three player for Canada by the coaches.[4]

She made her debut with the senior national team at age 17, appearing in a pair of contests against the during December 2016 in Plymouth, Michigan, U.S. and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.[5] [6]

In August 2017, Potomak was one of 28 players chosen by Hockey Canada for the Canadian national team centralized roster ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics.[7] Having turned 18 only two months prior, she was the youngest player selected for centralization and had to delay her freshman year at the University of Minnesota in order to participate.[8] In mid-November 2017, she and defenceman Erin Ambrose were the first players to be released from the centralized roster.[9]

Personal life

Potomak is the youngest of six siblings, all of whom played ice hockey during their youths.[10] [11] Her only sister, Sarah (born 1997), is a two-time IIHF Women's World Championship medalist with the Canadian national team and won the National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Championship with the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2016.[12] Sarah and Amy played together with Team British Columbia at the 2013 Canadian U18 nationals and they were the first sister duo to play on the Canadian national ice hockey team together.[13] [14] [15]

Potomak has a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from the University of Minnesota.[16]

Awards and honours

Sources: [17] [18] [19] [20]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Participant – Prince George 2015 Canada Winter Games. Canada Winter Games. 2016-11-25.
  2. Web site: Potomak to Affiliate with Valley West Hawks . BCHockey.net . 2016-11-24 . 2016-11-25.
  3. News: Ewen . Steve . The Potomaks of Aldergrove become first sisters to make Hockey Canada senior women's nats . 12 August 2024 . . 6 December 2016 . en.
  4. News: Canada beats Russia at U18 women's worlds . 12 August 2024 . . . 8 January 2017 . en.
  5. Web site: Canada's National Women's Team Rosters For December Series and Nations Cup . . 2016-11-23 . 2016-11-25.
  6. Web site: Rosters – Canada 2016 NWT December Series . . 2016-11-23 . 2016-11-25.
  7. News: Potomak sisters vying for spots on Canada's Winter Olympic hockey team . 12 August 2024 . . . 21 August 2017 . en.
  8. News: Murphy . Mike . Erin Ambrose and Amy Potomak cut from Canadian Olympic team . 12 August 2024 . The Ice Garden . 21 November 2017 . en.
  9. Web site: Erin Ambrose and Amy Potomak Released from Canada's National Women's Team . . 12 August 2024 . 20 November 2017 . Press release.
  10. Web site: La Rose . Jason . Sisters Skate On Rarefied Ice . . 12 August 2024 . 18 September 2016.
  11. Web site: Janzen . Mark . Our Story Amy Potomak . . 12 August 2024 . en . 18 February 2023.
  12. Web site: Sarah Potomak – Gophers Athletics . Minnesota Golden Gophers athletics . 2016-11-25. 2016-12-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161226141534/http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-hockey/mtt/sarah_potomak_968962.html . dead.
  13. Web site: Boisvenue . Melissa . Amy Potomak has strong role model in big sis Sarah . . 2013-11-08 . 2016-11-25.
  14. News: Larsen . Karin . B.C. sisters bringing the 'Potomagic' to Team Canada . . 2016-12-03 . 2016-12-21.
  15. News: Spencer . Donna . B.C. sisters lead western wave to women's hockey team . 12 August 2024 . . . 16 December 2016.
  16. News: Hopkins . Simon . U Sports summer headlines . 13 August 2024 . The Ice Garden . 12 July 2022 . en.
  17. Web site: 2021-22 Women's Hockey Roster: 16 Amy Potomak . University of Minnesota Athletics . 12 August 2024 . en.
  18. Web site: Women's Hockey, Awards & Honors . University of Minnesota Athletics . 13 August 2024 . en.
  19. Web site: Women's Hockey Letterwinners . University of Minnesota Athletics . 13 August 2024 . en.
  20. Web site: Canada West Women's Hockey History, Yearly Results: 2022-23 . . 13 August 2024.