Denis Potvin
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Denis Potvin (born Ottawa, Ontario, October 29, 1953) is a former player in the National Hockey League.
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Potvin played defenseman for the New York Islanders from 1973-1988. He won three Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenseman (1976, 1978, 1979), and won four consecutive Stanley Cups with the Islanders between 1979-1983. Potvin came into the league with extraordinarily high (and unfair) expectations of being the next Bobby Orr. Nobody could follow the great Boston defenseman, naturally, but upon Orr's decline and then retirement, Potvin immediately became the premier back-liner in the game. He was, at the time, the only defenseman besides Orr to score 30 goals and 100 points. Moreover, he was a far more traditional defender than Orr and an extremely physical player, particularly emphasizing the now lost art of the hip check. But Potvin was so immensely talented, in fact, that his arrogance often resulted in carelessness, which marred not only his younger years but continued throughout his career. It was not uncommon for his sloppiness to cause a goal against his team, with Potvin responding by scoring or setting up a goal in response. Had he been more disciplined, he would certainly have won many more Norris trophies. After his peak in the 70s, Potvin also began suffering a series of injuries that impeded optimal performance, especially during the regular season. During the Islanders Stanley Cup years, Potvin missed more than 1 in every 4 games, although he still managed to be selected a 1st Team All Star in 1981 and averaged 16 goals and 45 assists while playing only an average of 59 games per season.
Potvin was generally not a beloved player around the NHL, but was especially reviled by fans of the rival New York Rangers, who, in every game, gleefully exclaimed "Potvin sucks!"—and just as often chanted, in reference to Potvin's domestic marital problems, "Beat your wife, Potvin! Beat your wife!"
Potvin retired with the record for most goals, assists, and points by a defenseman, both in the regular season and in the playoffs.