Flames Prospect Cullen Potter Sustains Season-Ending Injury

The Calgary Flames have been dealt bad news for a 2025 first-round pick. Arizona State University centerman Cullen Potter, the 32nd-overall pick in last year’s draft, sustained a season-ending upper-body injury in a January 10th match against Miami University. The injury occured on a hard hit from 2026 draft prospect Kocha Delic. Potter will undergo surgery and face a three-to-four month recovery process, head coach Greg Powers told reporters including Gabriella Chernoff of the Sun Devil Source.

Potter was a feature piece of a strong Sun Devils offense this season. He leads the team with 12 goals and has 26 points in 24 games. His season has been an encore to the breakout freshman season Potter had at ASU last season. He bought out of his contract with the U.S. National Team Development Program before his U18 season, opting instead to go to college for his draft season. The move seemed like a tall bet for the undersized, skilled-scorer but Potter stood up to the test. He scored 13 goals and 22 points in 35 games, second-most of all draft eligibles in college behind James Hagens.

Potter is the son of Jenny Potter, a former star of Team USA’s women’s national team. The elder Potter won one Olympic Gold, four World Championship Golds, and nine other international medals through a 20-year career that began when she was named an Olympian at 19. She was a high-speed, high-finesse scorer with a knack for filling all roles on offense. The younger Potter plays a similar style to his mom, bringing explosive speed and high skill to the offense.

Those talents have made Potter one of Calgary’s top prospects, a status that’s sure to stick even through an early end to his sophomore season. He will return to a starring role with the Sun Devils next season, flanked by fellow NHL draft picks and incoming recruits Benjamin Kevan, Nathan Behm, Brandon Gorzynski.