The Islanders' franchise defenceman — four Stanley Cups and the heir to Bobby Orr's legacy as the dominant blue-liner.
Denis Charles Potvin was born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1953. New York Islanders selected him first overall in the 1973 NHL Draft. His entire 15-season career was spent with the Islanders. He won four Stanley Cup championships (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983) as the team's captain and defensive cornerstone. He won three Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman (1976, 1978, 1979) and the Calder Trophy as best rookie in 1974. He was the first defenceman to score 300 career goals and 1,000 career points — at the time unprecedented for the position. He was the natural successor to Bobby Orr as the NHL's dominant offensive defenceman. He scored 310 career goals from the blue line — the second-most in NHL history at retirement. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991 and named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017. His name became associated with one of hockey's most celebrated chants — Potvin sucks, still chanted at New York Rangers games decades after his retirement.
Stanley Cup 4x (1980,1981,1982,1983)
Career Honours
- Stanley Cup 4x (1980,1981,1982,1983)
- Norris Trophy 3x
- Calder Trophy
- Hall of Fame (1991)
- NHL 100 Greatest Players