Significant Injury Sidelined, But Didn't Prevent Poturalski From Playoff Hockey

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For some, the American Hockey League (AHL) is a quick stop along the way to the NHL.

Most, selected in the NHL's annual entry draft, spend some time in the AHL with the hopes that hard work to improve their game - along with some good fortune of being in the right place, at the right time - can get them an opportunity to prove they can play at the next level.

There's also a few players on every AHL team's roster that are undrafted, meaning their window to be selected by an NHL team at the draft had passed and their path to pro hockey would be a road less traveled.

It might surprise you to learn that Coachella Valley Firebirds forward Andrew Poturalski, the same Poturalski who recorded a 101-point season (28 goals, 73 assists) in the AHL last year, belongs to that latter group.

Despite being a traditionally undersized forward at 5-foot-10, Poturalski has held his work ethic, determination and perseverance to a standard that has not only allowed him to reach the pro level but become one of the AHL's most dominant players.

"Andrew comes with a lot of accolades and a [101]-point season the previous season, winning two Calder Cups in a row, I guess, with a little delay in between," Firebirds' head coach Dan Bylsma said of Poturalski when first asked about the player, rattling off his accomplishments before making an ever-apparent point.

"And right off the hop in training camp, he was a leader for our team and kind of mentality we wanted to develop with our team. He's a veteran guy, he's got a lot of accolades, but right from the start of the season, he was.. 'how can I get better?' 'Where can I improve my game?' ... and working every day in that regard."

Poturalski entered the 2022-23 season in the first of a two-year contract he signed with the expansion Seattle Kraken franchise in the beginning of free agency over the summer. Despite not cracking the Kraken's opening night roster, he entered AHL training camp with the right attitude - eager to work with and learn from Bylsma, a Stanley Cup winning head coach in his own right.

Unsurprisingly, things were going well for Poturalski in Coachella Valley to begin the season. He was named a 2023 AHL All-Star and was over a point-per-game player for the Firebirds with 42 points in 38 games.

But it was in that 38th game, back on January 26th, that an unfortunate play in the cornerboards between Poturalski and Iowa Wild rookie forward Sammy Walker left Poturalski down in a heap on the ice - needing play to be stopped and help getting off the ice.

"My skate kind of got hooked around the other guys' [skate]. He kind of just dragged my leg in the wrong direction, and I got stuck," Poturalski explained of what happened in the corner as it was out of frame during the league's AHLTV stream of that January 26 game. "It was kind of a freak play. There's nothing that really could have been done to avoid it. It's just one of those things that's unfortunate about our sport, but at the time I was in such shock I didn't fully know the scope of it and what was going on. I was walking on it a day later and trying to do stuff."

As Poturalski explained, the team had an off-day between the two-game set in Iowa the following day at a recreational center that had turf fields, pickleball courts and various other activities. In retrospect, it was probably against better judgment, but Poturalski joined his teammates and even joked that he was throwing the pigskin not really knowing the severity of his lower body injury.

"I was like throwing a football around on the turf like 50 yards and stuff," Poturalski told InsideAHLHockey.com, laughing while reminiscing the day.

Poturalski sat of the team's second game in Iowa on the 28th, and when the team got back home to Coachella Valley that was when Poturalski "knew something was seriously wrong."

"When we got the MRI and got the unfortunate news, it was tough."

The unfortunate news was that Poturalski's lower body injury would require surgery, and not only that but it came with a four to six month timeframe for recovery.

"You got the news that the injury to Andrew was.. it had a four to six month time frame on it .. and six months is July sometime or into June I think," Bylsma recalled of his initial reaction to finding out one of his team's top players was likely done for the season.

"When I first got the call, I definitely thought my season was over. It was really hard for the first couple of days there, you know? When you got a lot of time on your hands, and not a lot going on, your mind starts to wander and go to crazy places," Poturalski told InsideAHLHockey.com.

According to Byslma, that's when Poturalski's attitude and work ethic took over. "It showed up in spades when he got his injury," he quipped.

"Talking about challenges to our team throughout the year," Byslma began, before explaining, "22 games away from home to start with and we've had some injuries to some significant pieces to our team throughout the year - Andrew being the biggest one - and it was a challenge to the team to see if we could still be a good team without Andrew. The guys accepted that challenge and rose to that challenge."

READ ALSO: Western Conference Finalist Coachella Valley Battle-Tested

While his Firebirds teammates were continuing their strong play on the ice, Poturalski's work off the ice was just starting to begin.

He began researching his injury, while also reaching out to former teammates who had gone through similar injuries and rehabilitation/recoveries. He also told InsideAHLHockey.com that he came to the conclusion, after having conversations with various people knowledgeable about the injury and rehab process, that there were plenty of things he could do to try to speed up the process of getting him back on the ice.

But to be clear, there's only so many things that can to 'speed up the process'. It's a long road, and journey, to recovery from an injury as significant as the one Poturalski sustained.

Without getting into anything too specific, Poturalski explained the process.

Of course, there's the surgery itself. Then there's initial recovery period, which is immobilization, before any weight-bearing can occur.

"You can start walking again after like six weeks," Poturalski recalled. "You finally work your way back to get your feet settled, and the goal for everybody is kind of "when can I get back out on the ice?"

For every player, being cleared to skate is the first major hurdle - and also the first bit of excitement about inching closer to a return to game action.

"When you finally [get back on the ice] you're so excited, like a little kid again, for the first couple of skates," Poturalski explained, saying his first few skates were extremely basic and limited - usually for about 10 minutes and in no gear.

The skating continued to increase, and the intensity continued to ramp up and while Poturalski half-joked he didn't want to be quoted on exactly how long it was between that first skate and being cleared to return to game action in time for May 15's Game 3 of the Pacific Division Finals he estimated it was over a month's worth of work skating and increasing the workload.

It's that workman-like, never satisfied mantra that has enabled Poturalski, an undrafted 5-foot-10 forward from Williamsville, New York, to make the most of each and every one of his well-earned opportunities that has come his way at the pro level.

It's almost fitting that it was Poturalski who scored the series-clinching goal to send Coachella Valley to the Western Conference Finals.

It's not surprising Poturalski went on to record points in all but one of the Firebirds' six games against Milwaukee in the Conference Finals round.

It also should not come as a shock that he tallied a highlight reel goal 1:59 into the third period of Thursday night's Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals, extending the Firebirds' lead to 3-0 and preventing Hershey from any chance of generating momentum to stage a comeback.

READ ALSO: GAME STORY 2023 Calder Cup Finals Game 1: Hershey - 0 at Coachella Valley - 5

The two-point night from Poturalski in Game 1 has him up to eight points (three goals, five assists) in his first 10 games back.

The win has Coachella Valley three wins away from a Calder Cup Championship in their inaugural season as an AHL franchise.

For Poturalski, personally, he's three wins from his third straight AHL title (2022 Chicago Wolves, no Calder Cup awarded in 2021 or 2020, 2019 Charlotte Checkers).

"I can't say enough about the amount of work he put in off the ice and how diligent he was doing everything he possibly could to get better from that injury, and to come back with the hopes that he could have some meaningful hockey to play at the end of the season. And the guys did a great job in providing him with [that] opportunity," Bylsma told InsideAHLHockey.com, adding, "I wish everyone could see the work that this guy put in off the ice, it's a clear indication of what kind of player and what kind of person he is."

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