HARTFORD, Conn. — Grant Potulny vividly remembers the moment he first considered coaching at the professional level, and two current Rangers were at the heart of that realization.
As an assistant coach for the U.S. team at the 2013 World Juniors—a staff that included current Rangers assistants Phil Housley and Dan Muse—Potulny recalls drawing up a play for J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck.
The execution was seamless.
“It was the first time I felt on a bench that I could say, ‘Hey, next time the puck comes to you, Troch, on the half-wall, J.T. is gonna follow the back door and look for him,’ and it was, ‘Bang, bang,’” Potulny said after Tuesday’s Hartford Wolf Pack practice at XL Center. “It wasn’t, ‘We’ve got to work on it.’ It wasn’t, ‘We’ve got to show video on it.’ I had never really thought about pro hockey until that point.”
The idea of working with elite players was enticing, but taking on such a demanding job required sacrifices Potulny wasn’t ready to make.
At the time, he and his wife, Melissa, had three young children, and they weren’t prepared to subject them to the rigors of a pro hockey lifestyle.
“With the ages of my kids, it just wasn’t right for my family,” he said.
Instead, Potulny remained in college hockey, first as an assistant at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, and later as head coach of Northern Michigan University in 2017. His stock rose quickly at NMU, earning WCHA Coach of the Year honors in his first season while leading the Wildcats to five winning campaigns in seven years.
Meanwhile, his sons, Jack and Owen, were pursuing their own hockey dreams. But with both now playing at various junior levels, the timing was finally right for Potulny to take a shot at the professional ranks.
When the Rangers sought a new head coach for their AHL affiliate in Hartford, it felt like the perfect fit.
“I’ve known (Hartford general manager) Ryan Martin for a long time through USA Hockey, so there’s a level of comfort and trust,” Potulny said. “And obviously, you know what you know about the Rangers, so when this opportunity came, it was a no-brainer.”
Growing Pains in Hartford
Potulny’s first season in Hartford has had its ups and downs. The Wolf Pack sit at 20-23-5-1, five points out of an AHL playoff spot. They endured a rough seven-game losing streak from late January into February but have steadied with a 2-1-1 record in their last four.
Notably, several of the Rangers’ top AHL prospects have flourished under Potulny’s guidance. Forwards Brett Berard and Matt Rempe have earned NHL call-ups, while goalie Dylan Garand and forwards Brennan Othmann and Adam Sýkora are making strides.
For Potulny, who turns 45 next month, the most rewarding aspect has been focusing entirely on player development.
“In college, you have so many other responsibilities—recruiting, fundraising, academics, housing—that hockey might be only 30% of your day,” he said. “Here, it’s just hockey, hockey, hockey. You almost feel like you’re getting your PhD in hockey because that’s all you do. That’s been fun.”
Potulny’s predecessor, Kris Knoblauch, made a direct leap from Hartford to the NHL last season, guiding the Edmonton Oilers within one win of a Stanley Cup title. While Potulny isn’t thinking that far ahead, he and his family—now including his 13-year-old daughter, Charlotte—are focused on settling into life in Connecticut.
“She’s gotten into field hockey,” he said. “She’s made some friends that way.”
Prospect Development on the Rise
Hartford’s top-six forward group has stabilized, thanks in part to Othmann’s return from an upper-body injury that sidelined him for over two months and Berard’s return following his 19-game NHL stint.
The duo has been red-hot, combining for 11 points (five goals, six assists) in the last four games while playing alongside center Jake Leschyshyn.
“We’ve got a lot of chemistry,” Berard said. “We’re best friends off the ice, so it just clicks on the ice. It’s been great playing with him and reading off him.”
Othmann leads the team with 0.48 goals per game (12 in 25 games), with nine goals in his last 11 outings. Berard has registered 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 27 games.
Despite their contributions, Hartford’s leading scorers remain veteran AHLers. Alex Belzile, Anton Blidh, and Bo Groulx—all 25 or older—have each scored at least 14 goals. Belzile paces the team with 43 points (14 goals, 29 assists) and a plus-seven rating through 46 games.
Potulny has leaned on experienced leaders like captain Casey Fitzgerald to help guide younger players.
“We have some good people here who understand, ‘When I was 20, these were the things I struggled with. Now I’m 31, and I’m 11 years wiser,’” he said. “That’s been a blessing.”
Sýkora’s Development Path
Sýkora, who turns 21 in September, has improved in his second full AHL season, recording 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 48 games. However, he’s hit a rough patch, with just one assist and a minus-10 rating in his last 15 games.
Despite the slump, Potulny believes the 2022 second-round pick has the tools and work ethic to develop into an effective NHL checking winger.
“He’s got great quick twitch,” Potulny said. “There are times we almost have to back him off. It’s before a game, and he’s doing a full workout because that’s just who he is.”
Sýkora has become a strong penalty killer and has even started taking faceoffs—a skill he continues to refine.
“For a while, pucks were going in for him, and lately, they haven’t,” Potulny said. “But he doesn’t play any different. He’s like Berard—you never leave practice or a game disappointed in their effort because they give you everything they’ve got, every time.”
