Minnesota forward Grant Potulny, who scored the game-winning goal in the 2002 NCAA championship game, will miss up to four months after breaking his leg and tearing ligaments in his ankle.
Potulny was injured in Saturday’s game against Ohio State, but the severity of the injury was not known until X-rays were taken Monday. Even then, it was originally believed Potulny would miss just 4-6 weeks with a broken fibula, but further tests revealed extensive ligament damage.
At the time, the junior captain of the Gophers did not think he was seriously injured.
“I’ve never had an ankle sprain or a break so I didn’t know what that would feel like,” said Potulny to the Associated Press. “This is just the way things happen. I’m glad it happened early in the season.”
Potulny had missed just one game in his first two seasons with Minnesota.
The top-ranked Gophers are at No. 3 New Hampshire for a pair of big non-conference games this weekend.
