Cullen Potter Aims for IIHF World Juniors in Minnesota

The World Juniors Championship hockey tournament is set to take place in Minnesota this Christmas, and a talent showcase is currently underway. Four nations are assessing their players in preparation for the competition.

Cullen Potter, an 18-year-old forward from Minneapolis, has played hockey across various states, including Wisconsin, Texas, and Michigan, as well as at Arizona State University.

"I've been a lot of places. I think that's one thing in hockey, you kind of go all over the place," Potter remarked. "I've loved every step of the way."

This journey culminated in the NHL Draft last month in Los Angeles, where the Calgary Flames selected him 32nd overall 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 expressed.

Despite not being part of last year's gold-winning U.S. team at the World Juniors, Potter is determined to secure a spot this time. His motivation is palpable.

"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 noted. "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."

Potter's mother, Jenny Schmidgall-Potter, is a four-time Olympian and one of the most celebrated women's hockey players in history. This Christmas, Cullen has a strong chance of returning home to fulfill his 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."