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Félix Potvin was drafted 31st overall in the 1990 Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.He made his NHL debut the following season on November 14, 1992 against the Blackhawks and finished the season with four games and a 2.29 goals-against average. In 1992-93, Félix earned his first win on October 20 against the Senators and followed up with his first shutout on January 23 against the Canadiens. He won NHL Player of the Week honours at the end of January and then won Rookie of the Month honours for February. At season's end, he was a member of the NHL All-Rookie Team, a finalist (third place) for the Calder Trophy and a runner-up for the Jennings Trophy (with Grant Fuhr). In 1993-94, Félix played his first full season in the NHL and broke a team record (since broken) for victories in a season (34). That year, he was a two-time Player of the Week winner, October's Player of the Month and was selected to play in his first mid-season All-Star Game. In the post-season against the Blackhawks, he became the fifth goalie in league history to record three shutouts in a playoff series. Before the start of the next season, Félix ranked as one of The Hockey News' Top-40 players in the NHL (ranked 12th). In 1995-96, Félix played in his second All-Star Game as he won 30 games for the second time in his career. In 1996-97, he paced the league with 74 games (new team mark) and 4,271 minutes. In 1997-98, Félix won his fourth NHL Player of the Week (March 16) and set a career mark with five shutouts.
On January 9, 1999, Félix was traded along with a six-round draft pick to the New York Islanders for Bryan Berard and the Islanders' sixth-round draft pick. One year later, Félix was traded with a pair of draft picks to the Vancouver Canucks for Bill Muckalt, Dave Scatchard and Kevin Weekes (December 19). In 34 starts with the Canucks, Félix had a 2.59 goals-against average and a 90.6 save percentage. In 2000-01, Félix posted a 14-17-3 record for the Canucks before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings on February 15. In 23 games with his new team, Félix went 13-5-5 with a 1.96 GAA and a 91.9 save percentage. On April 2, Félix won NHL Player of the Week honours. In the playoffs, he helped his team reach the second round.
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