ASU hockey defenseman: NCHC quarterfinals win ‘sends a message’
Defenseman Anthony Dowd believes the Sun Devils’ elimination of Minnesota Duluth should be a warning to Denver.
The Calgary Flames have selected Arizona State hockey center Cullen Potter with the 32nd pick of the first round in the 2025 NHL Draft.
One of six Americans drafted in the first round, Potter was just 17 years old as a Sun Devil. He decided to play college hockey a year early. He will likely return to Tempe for another season.
Potter, 5 feet 10 and 172 pounds, scored 13 goals and had nine assists last season.
Scoring ability is important for Calgary, as the Flames were the 29th of 32 NHL teams in goals scored. Well-regarded for his speed and skating ability, Potter scored four goals in nine games for the U.S. National U18 Team in the 2024-25 season.
The Flames did not make the playoffs this year, but they did improve their record to 41-27-14 and were the next-best team in the Pacific Division not to make it. Potter won a bronze medal in the 2025 U18 Men’s World Championship.
This is the first time the Flames have drafted an NCAA player since back in 2020 when they selected Yan Kuznetzov with a second-round selection.
No Sun Devils player had ever been drafted higher than 37th in the NHL draft (Josh Doan was selected 37th in the 2021 NHL Draft). Potter is the first first-round draft selection to ever come out of ASU.
“I think I bring a lot of speed and I’m an electric player,” Potter told Sportsnet after he was taken with the final pick of the first round. “So I’m super excited to get started with (Calgary).”