The Gophers (11-3-3 overall, 6-3-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) open the weekend against Air Force (5-7-3, 4-4-2 AHA) on Saturday night before taking on No. 1 Boston College (11-2-1, 9-2-1 Hockey East) on Sunday evening in a rematch of last year's NCAA Frozen Four semifinal.
A native of Chanhassen, Minn., Reilly leads all Gophers freshmen and ranks tied for second in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association among rookie defensemen with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) this season.
In the third episode of Gopher Hockey: Pride on Ice the Gopher men's hockey team reflects on the 2013 Hockey City Classic outdoor game vs. Wisconsin and ahead to the WCHA Final Five and NCAA Tournament.
Go behind the scenes with the storied Minnesota Gopher men's hockey team in GopherSports.com's exclusive three-part web series, Pride On Ice!
One of Gophers' best on-ice leaders, Grant Potulny begins his fourth season as a full-time assistant coach for the 2012-13 season.
Potulny was a three-year captain at Minnesota during his career from 2000-04. He was an assistant captain as a sophomore for Minnesota's 2002 national championship team and then captained the team the following two years, including the Gophers' 2003 national title squad. Potulny is Minnesota's only three-year captain since 1947.
Potulny retired from pro hockey after battling injuries throughout his career. He was injured most of the 2008-09 season, which he spent with the Tampa Bay Lightning's American Hockey League affiliate in Norfolk, Va.
The Grand Forks, N.D., native has taken naturally to the college coaching profession. Potulny serves as guiding voice during practice and games, but is also a relatable presence on the recruiting trail.
Potulny primarily works with the Minnesota forwards. The Gophers led the nation averaging 3.60 goals-per-game during the 2011-12 season.
Potulny will also serve as an assistant coach for the 2013 U.S. National Junior Team under head coach Phil Housley in Ufa, Russia.
He has worked as a clinician at coach Lucia's model camp and has coached at the under-17 select festival in Rochester, N.Y.
Potulny played in 146 games for the Gophers, totaling 68 goals and 48 assists for 116 points. He is best-known for scoring the overtime game-winning goal in Minnesota's 4-3 win against Maine in the 2002 national championship game at Xcel Energy Center.
He played three full seasons with the Ottawa Senators' AHL affiliate in Binghamton (N.Y.) from 2004-07 before spending one season each with the Washington Capitals' affiliate in Hershey (Pa.) and the Edmonton Oilers' affiliate in Springfield (Mass.).
Potulny attended Red River High School and led his team to three North Dakota state championships from 1996-98. He won a total of nine varsity letters in hockey, football and baseball.
Potulny was selected in the fifth round, 157th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by Ottawa. He played two seasons in the United States Hockey League with the Lincoln Stars and helped his squad claim an Anderson Cup regular season championship as the team's MVP in 1999-2000.
Potulny and his wife, Melissa, have three children.
