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.
| Amy Potomak | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
June 25, 1999 Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| Played for | |||
| Playing career | 2015–present | ||
Playing career
editAt 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
edit| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's ice hockey | ||
Representing  Canada
| ||
| World U18 Championship | ||
 |
2016 Canada | |
| |
2017 Czechia | |
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 United States 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
editPotomak 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
edit- National Women's Under-18 Championship Most Valuable Player – 2015, 2016
- WCHA Rookie of the Month – December 2018
- WCHA Rookie of the Week – week of 19 February 2019, week of 26 February 2019
- Thomas R. Seha Women's Hockey Scholarship (University of Minnesota) – 2018–19, 2019–20
- Minnesota Golden Gophers Women's Hockey Letterwinner – 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- WCHA All-Academic Team – 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Academic All-Big Ten – 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Canada West Second Team All-Star – 2022–23
References
edit- ^ "Participant – Prince George 2015 Canada Winter Games". Canada Winter Games. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- ^ "Potomak to Affiliate with Valley West Hawks". BCHockey.net. November 24, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.[dead link]
- ^ Ewen, Steve (December 6, 2016). "The Potomaks of Aldergrove become first sisters to make Hockey Canada senior women's nats". The Province. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Canada beats Russia at U18 women's worlds". The Sports Network. CP. January 8, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Canada's National Women's Team Rosters For December Series and Nations Cup". Hockey Canada. November 23, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- ^ "Rosters – Canada 2016 NWT December Series". Hockey Canada. November 23, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- ^ "Potomak sisters vying for spots on Canada's Winter Olympic hockey team". CTV News. CP. August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Mike (November 21, 2017). "Erin Ambrose and Amy Potomak cut from Canadian Olympic team". The Ice Garden. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Erin Ambrose and Amy Potomak Released from Canada's National Women's Team". Hockey Canada (Press release). November 20, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ La Rose, Jason (September 18, 2016). "Sisters Skate On Rarefied Ice". Hockey Canada. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Janzen, Mark (February 18, 2023). "Our Story | Amy Potomak". Trinity Western University. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Sarah Potomak – Gophers Athletics". Minnesota Golden Gophers athletics. Archived from the original on December 26, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- ^ Boisvenue, Melissa (November 8, 2013). "Amy Potomak has strong role model in big sis Sarah". Hockey Canada. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
- ^ Larsen, Karin (December 3, 2016). "B.C. sisters bringing the 'Potomagic' to Team Canada". CBC News. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
- ^ Spencer, Donna (December 16, 2016). "B.C. sisters lead western wave to women's hockey team". CBC. CP. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Hopkins, Simon (July 12, 2022). "U Sports summer headlines". The Ice Garden. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "2021-22 Women's Hockey Roster: 16 Amy Potomak". University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Women's Hockey, Awards & Honors". University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Women's Hockey Letterwinners". University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "Canada West Women's Hockey History, Yearly Results: 2022-23" (PDF). Canada West. Retrieved August 13, 2024.