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BRIAN POTHIER
2008-09
Played in nine games and averaged 16:34 TOI … Returned to the lineup on 3/16
at ATL after missing 14 months recovering from the effects of a concussion …
Recorded one goal and two assists … His goal was the GWG on 3/27 vs. TB … Had
assists on 4/7 at ATL and 4/11 at FLA … Played his 300th NHL game on 4/9 vs. TB
… Made his Capitals playoff debut in Game 2 vs. NYR in the ECQF … Registered
two assists in 13 playoff games … Skated in four games on a rehabilitation stint
with Hershey before joining Washington full time.
Career
2007-08: Finished tied for second among Capitals defensemen in goals (5,
tying his career high) and fourth in points (14) despite missing more than half
the season after suffering a concussion 1/3 … Tied for seventh on the team at
+5 … Scored four of his five goals in December, matching the best goal-scoring
month of his career (March 2006) … Three of his goals gave the Caps the lead;
one (12/15 at TB) was the GWG … Had two assists and a +3 rating 10/24 vs. TB …
Played a season-high 27:08 and put a career-best eight shots on goal 10/26 vs.
VAN … Suffered a fractured thumb 12/20 vs. MTL, but missed just one game and
scored goals in back-to-back games upon his return (12/26—12/27) … His goal
12/27 at PIT was his 100th career NHL point. 2006-07: Led Caps defensemen
in assists (25) and points (28) in 72 games … Ranked third on the team in assists
and sixth in points … Led the team in ice time with an average of 23:59 per game,
more than a seven-minute increase compared to his 2005-06 average (16:46) …
Led the team in ice time in 35 games … Paced the team with 140 blocked shots
… Ranked fifth on the team, first among defensemen, with 118 shots on goal …
More than half of his points came on the power play (2g-13a) … Finished fourth
on the team in power-play points and third in power-play assists … Led Caps
defensemen (third on the team) with 4:13 of power play ice time per game … All
three of his goals were Washington’s first of the game … Started the season with
assists in three straight games (10/5—10/12, 5a) … Set a career high in assists
and points in a game with three vs. CAR (10/7) … Recorded a career-best four-
game assist streak from 10/19—10/27 (5a) … Led all Caps with nine assists in 11
GP in October … Played in his 200th NHL game vs. BOS (11/15) … Scored his first
Caps goal, on the power play, 1/1 vs. PHX … Had points in five out of six games
from 3/15—3/24 (1g-4a) and four straight from 3/18—3/24 (1g-3a) … Had six points
(1g-5a) and a +4 rating in the season’s final 12 games … Represented the United
States in the World Championship in Moscow. 2005-06: Posted career highs in
goals (5), assists (30), points (35), games played (77) and plus/minus rating (+29)
for OTT … Finished second among Senators’ defensemen in assists and fourth in
points … Tied for third on the team and fifth among all NHL defensemen in plus/
minus rating … Three of his five goals came on the power play … Tallied eight
multiple-point games … Had a pair of four-game point streaks (12/17—12/23, 6a,
and 3/1—3/6, 3g-4a) … Played at least 23:52 in eight straight games (3/28—4/10),
including a career-high 35:55 at BUF (4/5, 2a) … Served as alternate captain for six
games … Had three points (2g-1a), his first career playoff points, in eight games …
All of his scoring came in the ECSF vs. BUF, including his first career playoff goal
on 5/11 at BUF. 2004-05: Led Binghamton (AHL) defensemen in scoring with 48
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points (12g-36a) in 77 games … Ranked sixth among AHL defensemen in points …
Named to the AHL Second All-Star Team … Played for PlanetUSA in the AHL All-
Star Game … Tied team record at the time with a career-best three assists against
Albany (12/22). 2003-04: Played 55 games for OTT … Scored the GWG 1/17 vs.
BOS … Had points in back-to-back games 3/6 and 3/8 (2a) … Played in all seven
playoff games for OTT. 2002-03: Recalled from Binghamton eight times and
played 14 games for OTT … Recorded his first multiple-point game vs. NSH (2/22,
1g-1a) … Scored the GWG at MTL (3/29) … Appeared in 68 games for Binghamton,
leading the club in assists (40) … Was named team captain in January … Named
as a starter for PlanetUSA at the AHL All-Star Game … Named Binghamton’s best
defenseman and a second-team AHL All-Star … Made his NHL playoff debut 4/16
at NYI … Averaged more than a point per game (1g-8a in 8 GP) for Binghamton in
the playoffs. 2001-02: Split season between ATL and Chicago (AHL) … Played
33 NHL games before missing the final 10 due to injury … Scored the GWG vs.
COL (3/14) … Finished third among Chicago defensemen with 19 points (3g-16a) in
39 GP. 2000-01: Spent most of his first professional season with Orlando (IHL),
earning the league’s rookie of the year (Garry F. Longman Trophy) and U.S.-born
rookie of the year (Ken McKenzie Trophy) honors … Named the IHL defenseman of
the week and IHL plus/minus player of the week for 10/30-11/5 … Scored his first
professional goal 10/18 at Detroit … Played three games for ATL … Posted a +3
rating in his first NHL game, 4/3 vs. OTT … Helped Orlando win the IHL’s Turner
Cup, posting eight points (3g-5a) in 16 playoff games.
International Career
2007: Was a member of the U.S. team at the 2007 World Championship … Tallied
one assist in seven games.
College Career
Played four years for the Rensselaer Engineers in the ECAC, finishing with 74
points (17g-57a) in 142 games ... His goal and point totals climbed steadily his
last three seasons. 1999-00: Led all ECAC defensemen and was third on the
eam with 33 points (9g-24a) … A second-team All-America and second-team All-
ECAC selection … Team captain. 1998-99: Led team defensemen with 18 points
(5g-13a) … Named to the Rensselaer Holiday Hockey All-Tournament Team.
NHL Transactions
Signed with Atlanta as a free agent, March 27, 2000 … Traded to Ottawa by Atlanta
for Shawn McEachern and Ottawa’s sixth-round choice in 2004 Entry Draft (Dan
Turple), June 29, 2002 … Signed by the Capitals as a free agent, July 1, 2006.
Personal
Supports local Christian charities and spends time working with children and
veterans in the area … Enjoys fishing and golfing … Favorite athlete is Ronaldinho
… Top hockey memories are winning the 2001 Turner Cup and scoring the game-
winning goal against Tampa Bay last season (3/27/09) after returning to the ice.