Lindgren, Potulny Bring Home Gold Medals
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) – Gopher freshman Ryan Lindgren and assistant coach Grant Potulny won gold medals with the U.S. National Junior Team Thursday at the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.
The U.S. defeated Canada 5-4 in a shootout in the tournament’s gold-medal game.
The United States went unbeaten at the tournament to claim its fourth gold medal at the event and 10th overall medal.
Lindgren played in every game of the tournament for the U.S. until an illness held him out of the gold-medal game. The defenseman from Minneapolis collected one assist at the event.
This year’s tournament marks the second time Lindgren has collected gold with USA Hockey (2015 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament) while he also helped the U.S. to a bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship and silver medals at the 2015 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament, the 2014 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament and the 2014 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament. A second round selection by the Boston Bruins in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Lindgren is in his first season with the Gophers and has three points (one goal, two assists) in 15 games this year.
Meanwhile, Potulny has now helped the U.S. to a pair of gold medals at the World Junior Championships as an assistant coach. He previously won gold at the 2013 World Junior Championship in Russia.
Now in his eighth season as an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota men’s ice hockey team, Potulny has helped the Gophers offense annually rank among the nation’s best while claiming five-straight regular-season conference titles, earning two NCAA Frozen Four berths and reaching the NCAA national championship game in 2014.
Gopher Hockey Medalists at WJC
2017 (Gold): Ryan Lindgren, Grant Potulny*
2013 (Gold): Mike Reilly, Grant Potulny*
2011 (Bronze): Nick Bjugstad
2010 (Gold): Jordan Schroeder, Dean Blais*
2007 (Bronze): Mike Carman, Jeff Frazee, Erik Johnson, Kyle Okposo, Ryan Stoa
1997 (Silver): Ben Clymer, Erik Rasmussen, Wyatt Smith
1986 (Bronze): Tom Chorske
*Coaching Staff
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