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| 1973 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Denis Potvin
Selected in first round
No. 1 overall
by New York Islanders
Born October 29, 1953
 | Position:
Defense
Height: 6-0 Weight: 205
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Ottawa (OMJHL)
Birthplace: Vanier City, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown:
Hull, Quebec |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1968-69 |
Ottawa | OMJHL | 46 |
12 | 25 |
37 | 83 | | 1969-70 |
Ottawa | OMJHL |
42 | 13 |
18 | 31 |
97 | | 1970-71 |
Ottawa | OMJHL |
57 | 20 |
58 | 78 |
200 | | 1971-72 |
Ottawa | OMJHL |
48 | 15 |
45 | 60 |
188 | | 1972-73 |
Ottawa | OMJHL |
61 | 35 |
88 | 123 |
232 |
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PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
OMJHL Kaminsky Trophy (Outstanding Defenseman): 1971-72, 1972-73 (Ottawa)
OMJHL All-Star First Team: 1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73 (Ottawa)
Miscellaneous:
Missed part of 1971-72 season with broken wrist. ... Became first OHA/OMJHL/OHL
defenseman to score 100 points in a season when he achieved feat and set
league record (since broken) in 1972-73. Broke previous record of 94 set by
Bobby Orr in 1965-66. ... Attended Rideau High School in Ottawa. ... Was outstanding football player as a boy, but chose
hockey over football at age 13 because he could be paid $17 per week in
hockey. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 10,
1973 (N.Y. Islanders at Atlanta)
Number: 5 (N.Y. Islanders)
(number retired)
Stanley Cup: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983.
Status: Retired April 14, 1988 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | |
1972-1988 |
N.Y. Islanders | 1,060 |
310 | 742 |
1,052 | 1,356 |
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| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1975-1988 |
N.Y. Islanders | 185 |
56 | 108 |
164 | 253 |
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NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
HOCKEY HALL OF FAME:
Inducted 1991
Norris Trophy: 1975-76, 1977-78, 1978-79
Calder Trophy: 1973-74
Sporting News East Division Rookie of Year: 1973-74
Hockey News Rookie of Year: 1973-74
NHL All-Star 1st Team:
1974-75, 1975-76, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1980-81
NHL All-Star Second Team:
1976-77, 1983-84
All-Star
Game: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1988
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost):
1984
100-Point Seasons: 1978-79
(101)
N.Y. Islanders Records: Most points by a defenseman in a
single season (101 in 1978-79), most goals by a defenseman in a single season
(31 in 1975-76 and 1978-79), most assists by a defenseman in a single season
(70 in 1978-79), most career points by a defenseman (1,052), most career goals
by a defenseman (310), most career assists by a defenseman (742), most career
playoff points by a defenseman (164), most career playoff goals by a
defenseman (56), most career playoff assists by a defenseman (108).
N.Y. Islanders Hall of Fame: Inducted 1988
N.Y. Islanders Captain: Oct. 11, 1979, to Sept. 25, 1987
NHL Playoffs Assists Leader: 1976 (14 assists, tie)
N.Y. Islanders
Points Leader: 1973-74 (54), 1974-75 (76), 1975-76 (98), 1976-77 (80)
N.Y. Islanders Goals Leader: 1974-75 (53), 1975-76 (56), 1977-78 (60),
1978-79 (52), 1979-80 (50, tie), 1983-84 (30)
N.Y. Islanders Assists Leader: 1973-74 (37), 1974-75 (55), 1975-76 (67),
1976-77 (55)
N.Y.
Islanders Playoffs Points Leader: 1976 (19), 1979 (11)
N.Y. Islanders Playoffs Assists Leader: 1976 (14), 1979 (7)
Broadcasting Career:
... Was NHL correspondent for SportsChannel America and
color commentator for ESPN NHL playoff broadcasts in 1992-93. ... Worked as
color commentator for FOX TV's NHL Game of the Week during early 1990s. ...
Named Florida Panthers TV color commentator prior to team's first season in
1993-94 and remained in that position into 2003-04 season.
Miscellaneous: Ranked by The Hockey News in 1997 as the 19th
greatest NHL player of all time. ... Scored goal as rookie in his first NHL
All-Star Game in 1974. ... Set NHL records (since broken) for points (54) and
goals (17) by a rookie defenseman in 1973-74. ... Worked as TV color
commentator with Dick Irvin during 1976 Philadelphia vs. Soviet Union series.
... Set NHL record for fastest three goals by a defenseman when he recorded
natural hat trick in 3:21 at Toronto on Oct. 14, 1978. ... Hated by N.Y.
Rangers fans during his playing days because he was blamed for breaking Ulf
Nilsson's ankle on Feb. 25, 1979, at Madison Square Garden. After the incident, the chant "Potvin
Sucks"
could be heard at Madison Square Garden every time he played there. The chant
continues to this day. ... Missed part of 1979-80 regular season
with thumb injury suffered vs. Edmonton on Nov. 30, 1979. The injury
required surgery to correct stretched ligaments. Returned for final 18 games
of 1979-80 regular season and played throughout 1980 Stanley Cup run. ... Set
NHL record (since broken) for points by a defenseman in playoffs with 25 in
1981. ... Tied NHL defenseman record (since broken) with five points in
playoff game against Edmonton on April 17, 1981. ... Missed first 15 games of
1981-82 regular season with groin injury. Had first suffered injury in 1981
Stanley Cup-clinching game on May 21, 1981, and had aggravated it during 1981
Canada Cup tournament. ... Missed part of 1981-82 season with back pain. ...
Was Islanders' only player to appear in every playoff game from 1975-83. ...
Set NHL record (since broken) for career assists in playoffs with 97th assist
in 1984. ... Missed part of 1985-86 season with ear infection and ankle
injury. ... Set NHL record (since broken) for career goals by defenseman with
No. 271 in 1985-86, passing Bobby Orr. ... Set NHL record (since broken) for
career points by a defenseman with No. 916 in 1985-86, passing Bobby Orr. ...
Missed part of 1986-87 season with sprained left knee. ... Set NHL record
(since broken) for assists by a defenseman with No. 684 on Oct. 16, 1986,
passing Brad Park. ... Became first defenseman in NHL history to score 1,000
career points when he achieved feat against Buffalo on April 4, 1987. ...
Announced on Sept. 25, 1987, that he would retire at end of 1987-88 season,
and was honored with season-long "farewell tour" in which he received gifts
from many teams during his last game in their arenas. ... Honored by N.Y.
Islanders with Denis Potvin Night on March 31, 1988. On that evening, the team
created N.Y. Islanders Hall of Fame and inducted him as one of its first
three members. ... Was N.Y. Islanders' all-time points leader through his
first seven years with team. ... Was N.Y. Islanders' all-time assists leader
through first eight years with team. ... Was N.Y. Islanders all-time
power-play goals leader through first six years with team. ... Was N.Y.
Islanders all-time playoffs points leader through his first 12 years with
team. ... Was N.Y. Islanders all-time playoffs goals leader through his
first eight years with team. ... Was N.Y. Islanders all-time playoffs
assists leader through his first 13 years with team. ... N.Y. Islanders
retired his No. 5 on Feb. 1, 1992, making him the first player in franchise
history to have his number retired. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Challenge Cup: 1979. World Championships:
1986 (bronze medal)
Canada Cup: 1976
(first place), 1981 (second place)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Canada Cup Points Leader: 1976 (9 points)
Education: Received honorary degree from Dowling College in 1984.
Miscellaneous:
Caused controversy after 1976 Canada Cup when he suggested that he was a more
fitting choice for MVP than Bobby Orr, the player to whom he was most often
compared. ... During his playing career, he and his brother Jean held annual
celebrity golf tournament in Ottawa to raise money for local minor hockey. ...
Served as Islanders' NHLPA representative and as an NHLPA officer during his
playing career. ... Active in charity work for cerebral palsy during his
playing days. ... An avid fisherman, he spent many off-seasons on fishing
trips. ... Missed 1984 Canada Cup while suffering from hypertension. ... Went
into commercial real estate business in New York following his retirement
after having worked in this field part-time with Cushman and Wakefield during
his playing days. Remained in business until he began to pursue an NHL
broadcasting career. ... Named defenseman on MasterCard CHL all-time major
junior team by CHL panel in 1999. ... Named defenseman on MasterCard OHL
all-time team in 1999. ... Named defenseman on all-time Ottawa (OHL) team by
CHL panel in 1999. ... Ottawa retired his No. 7.
Personal: Nicknamed "Baby Bear" and "Bear"
by coach Al Arbour while he was playing for the Islanders. ... Full name is Denis Charles Potvin. ...
Son of Canadian government worker Armand Potvin, who was diagnosed with cancer
in 1983. Potvin dedicated his 1983 Stanley Cup title to his father, who had
been going through chemotherapy but managed to attend the final game in
Uniondale, N.Y.
Armand Potvin died during the 1984 playoffs, causing Denis to miss his first
NHL playoff game that year while he attended the funeral. ...
Younger brother of former NHL player Jean Potvin. ... Cousin of former WHA
scout Florent Potvin and former NHL player Marc Potvin. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '73 | | Total Selected: |
168 | | Forwards: |
103 | | Defense: |
53 | | Goaltenders: |
12 | | Major Junior: |
131 | | College Players: |
28 |
| Canadian: |
151 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
3 | | USA Citizens: |
14 | | U.S.-Born: |
14 |
| European: |
0 |
| Reached NHL: |
70 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
8 | | Hall of Fame: |
3 |
| All-Star Game: |
13 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
3 |
| Olympians: |
4 |
| Picks Traded: |
35 |
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