Marc Potvin (January 29, 1967 – January 13, 2006) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 121 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1990 and 1996. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1990 to 1998, was mainly spent in the minor American Hockey League (AHL). After his playing career Potvin became a

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

in the minor leagues, until his suicide in 2006. He was the cousin of Denis Potvin and Jean Potvin.

Playing career

Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Potvin, second cousin of Hall of Famer Denis Potvin, was selected by the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

in the ninth round, 169th overall, in the

1986 NHL Entry Draft The 1986 NHL Entry Draft was the 24th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 21, 1986, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the revers ...

. During his career, he played for four different NHL teams: the Red Wings ( 1990–91 to 1991–92), Los Angeles Kings (

1992–93 Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 ''Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since th ...

to 1993–94), Hartford Whalers (1993–94), and Boston Bruins ( 1994–95 to 1995–96). In 121 NHL games, he scored 3 goals and had 5 assists for 8 points. He also amassed 456 penalty minutes. In 13 NHL playoff games, he scored no goals, had one assist and 50 penalty minutes.

Coaching career

For the 1998–99 season, Potvin was the assistant coach for the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League. The next season, he made the jump to head coach for the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL. After only one season there, he became the head coach of the

Springfield Falcons The Springfield Falcons were a former ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) and played in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center. In 2016, the Falcons' franchise was purchased by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Ar ...

of the AHL, where he stayed for two seasons. Part way through the 2003–04 season, he took over the head coach position of the Adirondack IceHawks in the UHL. He would continue coaching the team (renamed the Adirondack Frostbite) in Glens Falls, New York.

Death

On January 13, 2006, Potvin was found dead in his hotel room in

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

, hours before the Frostbite were to play the Kalamazoo Wings. On February 10, Kalamazoo police announced that his death had been ruled a

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

. It was discovered that he had hanged himself with a belt from the shower rod in his hotel bathroom. He had a wife, son, and daughter.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Potvin, Marc 1967 births 2006 deaths 2006 suicides Adirondack Red Wings coaches Adirondack Red Wings players Boston Bruins players Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey players Canadian ice hockey coaches Canadian ice hockey right wingers Detroit Red Wings draft picks Detroit Red Wings players Hartford Whalers players Ice hockey people from Ottawa Los Angeles Kings players Portland Pirates players Providence Bruins players Springfield Falcons coaches Suicides by hanging in Michigan United Hockey League coaches