Man of the Week: Andrew Poturalski

KHL.ru’s weekly column returns with Andrew Poturalski. The Avangard forward had a great performance yesterday in Kazan, posting his first four-point performance for the Hawks, leading the team to a strong 6:1 road win.

After a short adaptation period, Andrew Poturalski seems to have found the right rhythm in the KHL. In Avangard’s emphatic 6:1 road victory over Eastern Conference rivals Ak Bars, the American forward stood out with four points to his name, scoring once and setting up three more. It was the kind of performance fans in Omsk had been waiting for, and it brought his totals to nine points in just six games (2+7). A promising start that underlines his ability to fit seamlessly into Avangard’s offensive structure and to make a difference when it matters.

Early years

Poturalski’s path to this point has never been the straightforward one. Born in Williamsville, New York, on January 14, 1994, he didn’t follow the more traditional route of that time of being drafted straight into the NHL from the Canadian juniors – he honed his game at the University of New Hampshire. At UNH, he quickly became one of the standout players in Hockey East, a conference known for producing top professionals. His sophomore season in 2015–2016 was especially memorable: he scored 22 goals and added 30 assists for 52 points in only 37 games, ranking among the top scorers in the entire NCAA. It was a breakout campaign that put him on the radar of pro teams and earned him recognition as a Hobey Baker Award finalist, a distinction given to the best collegiate players in the country.

Despite those accolades, Poturalski went undrafted, a reminder of how easy it is for skilled but undersized forwards to be overlooked at the highest level. The Carolina Hurricanes nevertheless saw his potential and signed him. In the Hurricanes’ system, he would build one of the most successful CVs of the past decade. With the Charlotte Checkers he became a fan favorite, not only for his production but also for his ability to raise his game in big moments. The spring of 2019 proved that better than anything: Poturalski scored the championship-winning goal in the Calder Cup Final and was named playoff MVP, lifting the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy.

Climbing up

Over the following years, Poturalsky only reinforced his reputation as a big-time player. He led the AHL in scoring multiple times, collected the Johnny B. Sollenberger Trophy as the league’s top point-getter, and in 2022 lifted a second Calder Cup, this time with the Chicago Wolves. In 2022–2023 he also took home the Les Cunningham Award as the league’s most valuable player. Yet, despite all this, NHL opportunities remained scarce. Poturalski made appearances for the Carolina Hurricanes and later for the Seattle Kraken and San Jose Sharks organizations, but across nine games at the highest level he never managed to secure a regular spot.

Move to the KHL

Poturalski’s undeniable determination to excel now carries him into a new chapter with Avangard. His start with the Hawks was encouraging, especially Sunday’s big performance in a high-pressure game like the ones between Avangard and Ak Bars, even if the latter’s season didn’t start too well. And as the season unfolds, both team and player will look back on nights like the one in Kazan as the moment where everything began to click.