Latest news with #CullenPotter
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Minneapolis' Cullen Potter aims for IIHF World Juniors Championship
Cullen Potter, the Calgary Flames' 18-year-old forward, is hoping to make it home this Christmas for the the World Juniors Championship hockey tournament.
CBS News
30-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Calgary Flames' Cullen Potter hopes to return to home state for IIHF World Juniors tournament
Ahead of the World Juniors Championship hockey tournament coming to Minnesota this Christmas, a showcase is being held this week. Four different nations are evaluating their talent. Minneapolis native Cullen Potter has played on hockey teams in Wisconsin, Texas, Michigan and in college at Arizona State. "I've been a lot of places. I think that's one thing in hockey, you kind of go all over the place," Potter said. "I've loved every step of the way." It's a journey that led Potter, an 18-year-old forward, to the NHL Draft in Los Angeles last month. He was picked 32nd overall by the Calgary Flames in the first round. "You've been wanting that to happen your whole life, and for it to finally go, it's like, you can't even put it into words how it feels because, you know, you've put in so much work to get there," he said. When the U.S. won gold at the World Juniors last year, Potter was not on the team. This week goes a long way toward earning a spot this time around. Potter's motivation is at an all-time high. "Growing up, watching the World Juniors and stuff your whole life, you kind of want to play in it. You see a lot of those guys playing in the NHL now," he said. "So being able to possibly have the opportunity to do that as well, and you know, getting the opportunity to play in the tournament would be a dream come true." Cullen's mom, four-time Olympian Jenny Schmidgall-Potter, is one of the most accomplished women's hockey players of all time. This Christmas, her son has a good shot at journeying back to their home and living out a dream. "It's always good to be home," said Potter. "Having the opportunity to maybe play in front of all my friends from home and you know, my family, too, it would be pretty cool."
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Calgary Flames prospect Cullen Potter brings mom's hockey heritage with him
Cullen Potter, middle, stands with Hall of Fame forward Lanny McDonald, left, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being drafted by the Calgary Flames in Los Angeles on Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Some say he has his mother's hands. Jenny Schmidgall-Potter was among the first women to combine motherhood and elite hockey when she twice gave birth to children and returned to the U.S. women's team. The four-time Olympian and a competitor at 10 world championships had daughter Madison in 2001 and son Cullen in 2007. Cullen Potter was a first-round pick, 32nd overall, in this year's NHL draft by the Calgary Flames. 'Cullen has unbelievable hands,' said his mom. 'People always say, 'Jenny, you had great hands' … it's just something you work on.' Schmidgall-Potter and the U.S. claimed the first Olympic gold medal awarded in women's hockey in Nagano, Japan, in 1998. She also won four world titles with the Americans. She ranks fifth all-time in points at the worlds for the U.S. with 61 in 50 games. Schmidgall-Potter retired from the national team in 2013 when Cullen was six and inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020. There is a photo of a three-year-old Cullen on the ice with Jenny at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. He held his mom's silver medal in his small hands. Cullen has hazy memories of his mom's playing days. 'Just a little bit … some of them are definitely a little fuzzy,' he said this week at the Flames' development camp in Calgary. 'I remember going out on the ice and kissing the medal. I've seen that picture a lot. So I remember some things, not everything. I was pretty young. 'Some people that have watched her play say I mimic her a little bit.' Cullen was walking at five months and skating as a one-year-old, but Jenny and husband Rob didn't put him in organized hockey until he was 11. Cullen also played lacrosse and swam. He learned hockey playing on outdoor rinks in Minnesota with his parents, who run a business training players. 'Cullen always had a knack for coming up with the puck,' Jenny said. 'Rob and I, our love for hockey is definitely an influence on him and he saw the passion we have for the sport.' His sister Madison also played hockey and competed in swimming for Notre Dame. 'I did just about every sport you could think of,' Cullen said. 'From the second I touched the ice, I think that's just something I knew I loved and haven't looked back since. 'My mom playing in the Olympics and my dad playing college, they just know a lot about the game. They've helped me through the hard times and the good times.' The five-foot-10, 172-pound centre produced 13 goals and nine assists in 35 games as an 18-year-old freshman at Arizona State this past season. He added nine goals and 13 assists in 35 games for the U.S. development team in 2023-24 before joining the Sun Devils. 'I'm super proud of him,' Jenny said. 'He's matured a ton over the last year, going to college, playing with older guys and being around older players. 'I know what it takes to commit yourself on a daily basis and forgoing summer vacations or things that you miss out on because you're wanting to accomplish your goals. 'He's always been a worker and has some genetics, of course, but you know a lot of it's just through the hard work that he's done with my husband and with us as parents to get to where he is now. 'I can say I love hockey, I've had so many great moments in winning a gold medal and world championships, but I still think the best thing in my life are children.' The 46-year-old still keeps an eye on a U.S.-Canada rivalry in women's hockey she helped fuel for many years. 'The rivalry is still strong and true. Go U.S.A.,' she said, before adding: 'Cullen's in Canada, so I guess maybe I'm going to have to support them just a little bit.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2025. Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
National Post
29-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
‘He's a bit of a throwback': Meet Calgary Flames third-round pick Mace'o Phillips
The Flames selected defenceman Mace'o Phillips, a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, with the No. 80 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Rena Laverty, courtesy of USNTDP On Friday night, shortly after the Calgary Flames called his name in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Cullen Potter fielded several questions about his mom. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors An obvious angle, since Jenny won four Olympic medals during an illustrious hockey career. The following day, when the Flames welcomed Mace'o Phillips to the fold, the heavy-hitting blue-liner wanted to brag a bit about his own mother, Amy. 'She's kind of the reason I am who I am today,' Phillips said. 'She is the first person I hugged when I got picked. I can't thank her enough for all she's done for me.' Amy has been a pillar of strength for this defence prospect from Wayzata, Minn., raising Mace'o and his sister as a single parent. She was also a heck of an athlete in her own right. During the draft broadcast, they mentioned that Amy competed in gymnastics and soccer. According to her son, who has spent the past two seasons with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (USNTDP), there was another sport that they forgot to mention. 'Her eighth-grade year, she was out in the field at Apple Valley High School here in Minnesota and she was just kicking some field goals with her friends,' Phillips said. 'And the boys' football coach saw her kicking field goals and they asked her to be the kicker for the boys' football team in high school. 'So I definitely get some of that athleticism from her.' Potter and Phillips, two of the eight prospects selected by the Flames in the 2025 NHL Draft, are actually close friends. They both hail from Minnesota and were teammates with the USNTDP in 2023-24. Everything College Hockey recently filmed a day-in-the-life feature on Potter, who has already played his freshman season with the Arizona State Sun Devils, and Phillips makes a cameo as his pickleball partner. You can bet these buddies have been volleying back and forth about eventually becoming fan faves in Calgary. Just like Jenny was a speedster on skates, Cullen can absolutely fly. This potential pivot is now the fastest player in the Flames' pipeline and has the soft hands required to make offensive plays at high pace. While Mace'o moves well for his size, he is less dash and more smash. At 6-foot-6 and 233 pounds, he would also be an appealing football recruit. He plays an aggressive, imposing brand and led the USNTDP in penalty minutes this winter, with 103. There is a former NHL tough guy on the Flames' amateur scouting staff, and he can vouch for Phillips' grip strength.
National Post
28-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Flames continue to prioritize pivots by drafting Theo Stockselius
The Calgary Flames were serious about stocking up on centres. Article content After selecting Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter with their first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Flames followed up by welcoming Theo Stockselius at No. 54 overall on Saturday morning. Article content Article content 'I saw that last night — Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter. It's two really good centremen,' Stockselius told Postmedia. 'So now we have three good centremen.' Article content The more, the merrier. Article content You could argue that Reschny, Potter and Stockselius immediately become Calgary's top three pivot prospects. Article content Yeah, the cupboards are that thin at this crucial position, especially if you expect that Wranglers leading scorer Rory Kerins will wind up on the wing. Article content The scouting report on Stockselius, who averaged 1.28 points per game this past season in the Swedish junior league, is that he's a crafty playmaker with strong two-way instincts. Article content Asked if he is working to emulate any current NHLers, he mentioned Flames captain Mikael Backlund and Joel Eriksson Ek of the Minnesota Wild, saying 'both are really good all around the ice.' Article content Specific to Backlund, he added: 'In the future, I really want to play like him.' Article content Stockselius, who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 181 pounds, notched 22 goals and 51 points in 40 appearances this season with Djurgardens. Article content Article content While he managed only one marker at World Under-18s, he must have been feeling a little snakebitten since he racked up 20 shots on net. He also contributed four assists and won 64.29 percent of his draws at that international showdown. Article content Article content
