Denis Potvin: Dynamic Defender

Denis Potvin was the anchor of the New York Islanders franchise and dynasty.

His unbelievable strength, his fearless hitting and offensive awareness won him the Calder trophy, three Norris trophies, seven all star nods, and four consecutive Stanley Cups. One of the last great hip-checkers, he was a hard-hitting defensive stalwart. His intelligence and patience quarterbacked the power play and the offense. He was a natural leader, captaining the Isles during their great dynasty.

"There were a couple of key elements to my game. I worked on passing the puck. That was as important to me as developing my shot and probably became my most valuable asset. I had a good wrist shot, and I was taught that shooting and passing were the same. But the most fun I had was hitting. I enjoyed the contact, and hockey provided me with a lot of opportunities," he said.

He came across as extremely self confident, some would say arrogant which hurts him in talks of all time greats. In the 1976 Canada Cup he was outspoken about Bobby Orr getting all the attention when he felt he was playing just as well. And when he prematurely retired in 1988 he said he had "nothing left to prove" after 15 seasons.

"The confidence that I displayed was a security blanket. There were a lot of nights when I was scared to death that I wouldn't be able to do what I was supposed to."

Critics also questioned Potvin's dedication to the game.

"I hated practicing, and I didn't like waiting between games. I was most happy when the puck was dropped and the game started. I only felt comfortable and confident that I'd make the right decisions when I was on the ice."

When he was a junior hockey star, he was already being labeled as the game's next Bobby Orr. The comparisons were justifiable, as Potvin bettered many of Orr's OHL records.

"I didn't like being compared with Orr," he admitted, "because we were different personalities with different playing styles, skating for different teams. The only thing we had in common was that we both played defense. What these statements about me and Orr do is make my job that much harder, but I accept that as part of the business."

Potvin justified the comparisons though. He broke all of Bobby Orr's goal and point records, although has since been passed by the likes of Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque. He finished with 310 goals, 742 assists and 1052 points. He was the first defenseman to record 1,000 career points.

Potvin retired early in the minds of many. He still had a number of good years ahead of him, but he wanted to go out on top.

"Before I retired, I wondered, 'What can motivate me? Is there another record, another Stanley Cup?' It looked as if the 1988 New York Islanders were not going to get a lot better quickly and compete with the Oilers for the Cup, and I was 35 years old. I thought of playing somewhere else, but that didn't feel right. I looked for something new and different instead."

That something different proved to be broadcasting. He now works on the Florida Panthers broadcast team.

Potvin epitomized the NY Islanders. He, like his team, could play any way you wanted. Rough, physical defensive hockey; fast paced, finesse skills match; or a combination of both. This makes Denis Potvin one of the greatest and most complete players to ever grace a sheet of ice

Stanley Cup Heroes: Denis Potvin

Denis Potvin was the anchor of the New York Islanders franchise and dynasty.

His unbelievable strength, his fearless hitting and offensive awareness won him the Calder trophy, three Norris trophies, seven all star nods, and four consecutive Stanley Cups. One of the last great hip-checkers, he was a hard-hitting defensive stalwart. His intelligence and patience quarterbacked the power play and the offense. He was a natural leader, captaining the Isles during their great dynasty.

"There were a couple of key elements to my game. I worked on passing the puck. That was as important to me as developing my shot and probably became my most valuable asset. I had a good wrist shot, and I was taught that shooting and passing were the same. But the most fun I had was hitting. I enjoyed the contact, and hockey provided me with a lot of opportunities," he said.

He came across as extremely self confident, some would say arrogant which hurts him in talks of all time greats. In the 1976 Canada Cup he was outspoken about Bobby Orr getting all the attention when he felt he was playing just as well. And when he prematurely retired in 1988 he said he had "nothing left to prove" after 15 seasons.

"The confidence that I displayed was a security blanket. There were a lot of nights when I was scared to death that I wouldn't be able to do what I was supposed to."

Critics also questioned Potvin's dedication to the game.

"I hated practicing, and I didn't like waiting between games. I was most happy when the puck was dropped and the game started. I only felt comfortable and confident that I'd make the right decisions when I was on the ice."

When he was a junior hockey star, he was already being labeled as the game's next Bobby Orr. The comparisons were justifiable, as Potvin bettered many of Orr's OHL records.

"I didn't like being compared with Orr," he admitted, "because we were different personalities with different playing styles, skating for different teams. The only thing we had in common was that we both played defense. What these statements about me and Orr do is make my job that much harder, but I accept that as part of the business."

Potvin justified the comparisons though. He broke all of Bobby Orr's goal and point records, although has since been passed by the likes of Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque. He finished with 310 goals, 742 assists and 1052 points. He was the first defenseman to record 1,000 career points.

Potvin retired early in the minds of many. He still had a number of good years ahead of him, but he wanted to go out on top.

"Before I retired, I wondered, 'What can motivate me? Is there another record, another Stanley Cup?' It looked as if the 1988 New York Islanders were not going to get a lot better quickly and compete with the Oilers for the Cup, and I was 35 years old. I thought of playing somewhere else, but that didn't feel right. I looked for something new and different instead."

That something different proved to be broadcasting. He now works on the Florida Panthers broadcast team.

Potvin epitomized the NY Islanders. He, like his team, could play any way you wanted. Rough, physical defensive hockey; fast paced, finesse skills match; or a combination of both. This makes Denis Potvin one of the greatest and most complete players to ever grace a sheet of ice

Super Action: Denis Potvin

Denis Potvin was the anchor of the New York Islanders franchise and dynasty.

His unbelievable strength, his fearless hitting and offensive awareness won him the Calder trophy, three Norris trophies, seven all star nods, and four consecutive Stanley Cups. One of the last great hip-checkers, he was a hard-hitting defensive stalwart. His intelligence and patience quarterbacked the power play and the offense. He was a natural leader, captaining the Isles during their great dynasty.

"There were a couple of key elements to my game. I worked on passing the puck. That was as important to me as developing my shot and probably became my most valuable asset. I had a good wrist shot, and I was taught that shooting and passing were the same. But the most fun I had was hitting. I enjoyed the contact, and hockey provided me with a lot of opportunities," he said.

Here is the full Denis Potvin biography.

Denis Potvin

Denis Potvin was the anchor of the New York Islanders franchise and dynasty.

His unbelievable strength, his fearless hitting and offensive awareness won him the Calder trophy, three Norris trophies, seven all star nods, and four consecutive Stanley Cups. One of the last great hip-checkers, he was a hard-hitting defensive stalwart. His intelligence and patience quarterbacked the power play and the offense. He was a natural leader, captaining the Isles during their great dynasty.

"There were a couple of key elements to my game. I worked on passing the puck. That was as important to me as developing my shot and probably became my most valuable asset. I had a good wrist shot, and I was taught that shooting and passing were the same. But the most fun I had was hitting. I enjoyed the contact, and hockey provided me with a lot of opportunities," he said.

He came across as extremely self confident, some would say arrogant which hurts him in talks of all time greats. In the 1976 Canada Cup he was outspoken about Bobby Orr getting all the attention when he felt he was playing just as well. And when he prematurely retired in 1988 he said he had "nothing left to prove" after 15 seasons.

"The confidence that I displayed was a security blanket. There were a lot of nights when I was scared to death that I wouldn't be able to do what I was supposed to."

Critics also questioned Potvin's dedication to the game.

"I hated practicing, and I didn't like waiting between games. I was most happy when the puck was dropped and the game started. I only felt comfortable and confident that I'd make the right decisions when I was on the ice."

When he was a junior hockey star, he was already being labeled as the game's next Bobby Orr. The comparisons were justifiable, as Potvin bettered many of Orr's OHL records.

"I didn't like being compared with Orr," he admitted, "because we were different personalities with different playing styles, skating for different teams. The only thing we had in common was that we both played defense. What these statements about me and Orr do is make my job that much harder, but I accept that as part of the business."

Potvin justified the comparisons though. He broke all of Bobby Orr's goal and point records, although has since been passed by the likes of Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque. He finished with 310 goals, 742 assists and 1052 points. He was the first defenseman to record 1,000 career points.

Potvin retired early in the minds of many. He still had a number of good years ahead of him, but he wanted to go out on top.

"Before I retired, I wondered, 'What can motivate me? Is there another record, another Stanley Cup?' It looked as if the 1988 New York Islanders were not going to get a lot better quickly and compete with the Oilers for the Cup, and I was 35 years old. I thought of playing somewhere else, but that didn't feel right. I looked for something new and different instead."

That something different proved to be broadcasting. He now works on the Florida Panthers broadcast team.

Potvin epitomized the NY Islanders. He, like his team, could play any way you wanted. Rough, physical defensive hockey; fast paced, finesse skills match; or a combination of both. This makes Denis Potvin one of the greatest and most complete players to ever grace a sheet of ice

Denis Potvin Almost Left For Switzerland

Did you know New York Islanders defenseman Denis Potvin almost ended his Hall of Fame NHL career early to play in Switzlerand?

In 1986 Potvin, a 3 time Norris Trophy winner and team captain of the Islanders four Stanley Cups, sought the help of agent Derek Holmes to pursue offers specifically in Switzerland. Six teams made offers, and Potvin was close to signing with an unnamed team for $200,000 a year.

Potvin, who was making $500,000 a year in the NHL, had a change of heart after a final meeting with Islanders general manager Bill Torrey.

Perhaps it was a negotiating ploy. Potvin returned for two more years on Long Island, retiring as the all time leader among defensemen in career goals and points (surpassing Bobby Orr).

Stanley Cup Legends: Denis Potvin

This photo opportunity was a right of spring in the NHL in the early 1980s.

Denis Potvin, the New York Islanders great defenseman, captained the Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1980 through 1983.

Potvin Sucks

New York Rangers fans at Madison Square Gardens are among the most colorful in all of professional sports. Some of the chants they come up with are as unforgiving as they are funny.

A few chants have lived on to be passed on from generation to generation. Perhaps the most famous chant has been around for 30 years now, even though many of the younger and newer fans may not even understand why they are yelling it out.

"Potvin Sucks!"

The chant dates back to hey day of the Islanders/Rangers rivalry in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, when the Islanders were the top team in all of hockey, yet somehow the Rangers were always number one in New York City.

The one Isles player the Rangers hated more than any other was Denis Potvin, who famously hip checked Ulf Nilsson, breaking his ankle on the play. Nilsson was a key player for the Rangers, and they were a strong team that year, making it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. Without Nilsson the Rangers were no match for the Montreal Canadiens.

Rangers fans have never forgiven Denis Potvin, and to this day chant Potvin Sucks, especially when the Islanders and Florida Panthers come to town. The Panthers? Denis Potvin is the color commentator for the Panthers since 1993.

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports has a great piece on the chant, with Wednesday being the 30 year anniversary of the Potvin/Nilsson hit.

Though the serenade has made him immortal, the chant has outgrown Potvin himself. As Potvin says himself, "I don't think it has anything to do with me anymore."

Let's see what else is going involving former hockey players in this week's Catching Up With The Past:

There is a new website out there showing some early promise for us hockey fans. It is oddly named HockeyBarn.com. Here's hoping they can come up with unique hockey content that is easier to find than a needle in a haystack.

They are off to a great start. Senior writer Stephanie Bagley has an awesome interview with Brian Leetch, the great New York Rangers defenseman. Glenn Anderson is also blogging for them.

The Stanley Cup was first awarded in 1893. The first Stanley Cup championship ring came shortly thereafter, as every member of the victorious Montreal Amateur Athletic Association was given a commemorative ring.

George Lowe was on that team. His ring just sold at auction for over $55,000. Puck Daddy's Sean Leahy has all the details.

Mike Mastovich remembers November 20th, 1951, the night Rocket Richard and the Montreal Canadiens came to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Habs played the EHL Johnston Jets in an exhibition game at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

Miracle goalie Jim Craig has made a living on motivational speaking tour. Now he's making the rounds talking about abdominal aortic aneurysms. I'm not making that up.

Bruce Andriatch remembers the night Tim Horton died.

Shayne Corson has his own clothing line. Moose Knuckles promises to dress us like the most extreme Canadian stereotype - like a lumberjack!

Reggie Leach and Lanny McDonald recently made trips to Canada's far north.

Wayne Gretzky somehow found time to go backstage at a Nickelback concert in Nashville. It seems Gretzky also has captured wrestling fans interest. He was recently photographed wearing a Wrestlemania 26 t-shirt. Could wrestling's biggest day be heading to Phoenix next year? Here's the photo.

Gretzky and wrestling? Even armed with a steal chair I am not so sure Dave Semenko or Marty McSorley are much of a match for those guys. #99 better befriend Canadian Adam Copeland, better known as the heavyweight champion Edge, a noted hockey fan.