Washington Capitals - NHL.com

TOM POTI
2008-09
Third on the team in average ice time (21:08) in 52 games … Led the team in ice
time 11 times … Led the team and ranked fifth in the NHL with 4:22 of shorthanded
ice time per game … Finished tied for third among defensemen in scoring despite
missing 27 games due to injury … Team was 11-2-0 when he had a point … Caps
went 32-13-6 with him in the lineup … All three of his goals came in the first period
… Had seven of his 10 assists in the second period … Recorded 10 of his 13 points
at Verizon Center (2g-8a) … Scored the GWG on 11/8 vs. NYR … Had two three-
game point streaks (11/6—11/10, 2g-1a, and 11/26—12/12/08, 3a) … Was +2 in three
straight games from 11/6—11/10 … Registered a season-high four shots 11/12 at
CAR … Played his 700th NHL game on 2/24 vs. PHI … Had seven blocked shots
3/17 at FLA, the most in a game by a Capital all season … Played in all 14 Stanley
Cup playoff games and had seven points (2g-5a) … Finished tied for 16th in playoff
points for a defenseman; only three players (Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger
and Alexander Edler) played fewer games and had more points … Played more
than 20 minutes in 10 playoff games … Enjoyed the best offensive round of his
playoff career (2g-4a) and his first series victory in the ECQF against NYR … Had
four points (1g-3a) in Game 6 at NYR (4/26), matching his career high for a single
game (regular season or playoffs) … Had one assist and was +6 in seven games
against PIT in ECSF … Skated a playoff-high 27:18 in Game 3 at PIT.
Career
2007-08: An alternate captain … Finished second in points (29) and assists (27)
among Caps defensemen … Sixth on the team in assists … Led the team with 119
blocked shots … Finished second on the team with 23:28 of ice time per game,
trailing only Mike Green (23:38) … Led the team in ice time 33 times in 71 games
played … Skated 20-plus minutes in 61 of 71 games … Ranked second among
Caps defensemen and fifth on the team at +9 … Was +11 on the road, third-best
on the team … Played his 600th NHL game 10/18 at NYI … Recorded his 200th NHL
assist 11/23 at PHI … Was +16 from 1/16 through the end of the season … Scored
his first Caps goal and added an assist 2/5 at CBJ … Was +7 with six assists during
his four-game point streak from 2/26—3/8 … Had his most productive month with
eight assists in March … Finished the season with five points (1g-4a) and was +6
in the last seven games (3/21—4/5) … Played all seven playoff games and ranked
third on the team in ice time (24:00) … Had an assist in Game 1 of the ECQF vs.
PHI (4/11). 2006-07: Had the second-best offensive totals of his career in his lone
season with NYI … Tallied 44 points (6g-38a) in 78 games … Assist total marked a
career high … Ranked first on the team in assists, eighth in points, sixth in PPGs
and fourth in PIM (74) … Second among NYI defensemen in scoring … Netted six
goals and 26 assists on the power play … His 32 power-play points ranked 11th
among NHL defensemen … Led NYI with an average of 25:42 of ice time (11th in the
league) … Finished 14th in the NHL with 170 blocked shots … Posted 10 multiple-
point games in regular season … Logged more than 25 minutes of ice time 41
times … Registered season-high +3 vs. ATL (12/16) … Recorded season-high three
points twice: vs. CAR (10/21, 1g-2a) and vs. TOR (4/5, 3a) … Posted season-best
four-game point streak from 3/15—3/22 (4a) … Skated in season-high 33:32 ice
time in regular season finale vs. NJ (4/8) … Tallied nine points in final six games
of regular season (2g-7a) … Skated at least 26 minutes in all five playoff games
against BUF in the ECQF … Had three assists, including two in Game 2. 2005-
06: Tallied 23 points (3g-20a) in 73 games with NYR … Ranked third among NYR
defensemen in scoring … Topped NYR with 123 blocked shots … First among team
defensemen with 122 shots on goal … Tied for second on team with 49 takeaways
… Third on blueline in average TOI, 20:46 … Posted four multiple-point games …
Recorded season-high three-game point streak from 12/8—12/13 (4a) … Posted
200th NHL career point against PIT (1/26) … Appeared in 500th career NHL game
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS OFFICIAL GUIDE
vs. ATL (3/12). 2004-05: Did not play. 2003-04: Ranked second among NYR
defensemen with 24 points (10g-14a) … Led NYR and established a career high
with five GWGs … Played in 400th NHL career game on 12/7 vs. TB … Scored
GWGs in overtime on consecutive nights 12/29—12/30, becoming just the third
NHL player to record an overtime goal in consecutive games (Maxim Afinogenov,
Greg de Vries) … Had four assists vs. TB (2/19). 2002-03: Recorded a career-high
48 points (11g-37a) with NYR … Ranked second among club defensemen with 11
goals … Led team with 37 assists … Ranked third on the team and tied for seventh
among NHL defensemen with 48 points … Played in the NHL All-Star Game …
Posted eight multiple-point games … Posted career-best two goals at DAL (11/29)
… Matched his career best with a six-game scoring streak (11/21—12/1, 4g-5a).
2001-02: Began season with EDM before being traded to NYR (3/19) … Posted six
multiple-point games … Notched back-to-back multiple-point games (11/29—12/1,
2a each game) … Recorded 100th NHL point on 12/16 at PHI … Won a silver medal
with the U.S. at the Olympics. 2000-01: Appeared in a career-high 81 games with
EDM … Had a career-high 12 goals … Finished second among EDM defensemen
with 32 points … Ranked third on Oilers in ice time, averaging 22:44. 1999-00:
Ranked second among EDM defensemen with 35 points (9g-26a) … Finished third
on the team with 26 assists … Second on the team with 119 blocked shots …
Skated in 100th NHL game vs. PHX (4/1). 1998-99: Named to the NHL All-Rookie
Team … Led EDM with a +10 rating … Ranked fifth among all NHL rookies and
second among rookie defensemen with 21 points (5g-16a) … Finished first among
NHL rookies with 82 blocked shots … Made NHL debut on 10/10 vs. LA … Scored
first NHL goal/point on 11/18 vs. DET … Tallied first NHL assist vs. CHI on 11/29.
International Career
Has represented the United States at three international events, including the 2002
Winter Olympics. 2002: Helped Team USA capture a silver medal at the Winter
Olympics in Salt Lake City … Skated in six games, posting one assist. 1997:
Played for the U.S. at the World Junior Championship in Boston … Recorded three
points in six games to help the U.S. win the silver medal. 1996: Played in six
games at the World Junior Championship and had three assists.
College Career
Played two years for Boston University (BU) in Hockey East, finishing with 63
points (17g-46a) in 76 games. 1997-98: Selected to the NCAA East First All-
American Team and named a Hockey East First-Team All-Star … Named Beanpot
Tournament’s most valuable player, becoming the first BU defenseman to win
the award since 1980 (Jack O’Callahan) … Won the New England Hockey Writer’s
Award given to New England’s Best Defenseman. 1996-97: Helped lead BU to
NCAA Championship game, falling to North Dakota in title match … Named to the
1997 NCAA All-Tournament team.
NHL Transactions
Selected by Edmonton in the third round, 59th overall, in the 1996 Entry Draft …
Traded to the New York Rangers by Edmonton with Rem Murray in exchange for
Mike York and a fourth-round draft choice in the 2002 Entry Draft (Ivan Koltsov),
March 19, 2002 … Signed with the New York Islanders as a free agent, July 8, 2006
… Signed with Washington as a free agent, July 1, 2007.
Personal
Supports the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, the Make-A-Wish Foundation
and the Travis Roy Foundation … Enjoys golfing and spending time at the beach …
Favorite athlete is Tiger Woods … Lists pancakes as his favorite food … Favorite
hockey memory is the 2002 Olympics.