Jean Potvin, Part of the 1980s Islanders’ N.H.L. Dynasty, Dies at 72

Jean Potvin, a defenseman who performed on the primary two of the New York Islanders’ 4 Stanley Cup championships within the Nineteen Eighties, died on Tuesday in Westin, Fla. He was 72.

His brother Denis confirmed the loss of life, at a hospital. He stated the trigger was not but identified, pending an post-mortem.

Potvin spent 11 seasons within the Nationwide Hockey League, eight with the Islanders. He joined the crew from the Philadelphia Flyers in a commerce in the course of the 1972-73 season, when the Islanders, then of their first yr as an enlargement crew, had been terrible.

However Potvin felt that he would get extra enjoying time on a foul crew. He additionally anticipated, accurately, that the Islanders would select his brother Denis, who was 4 years youthful, as the highest general decide within the forthcoming N.H.L. newbie draft.

Denis, additionally a defenseman, turned a star within the league and was inducted into the Hockey Fall of Fame in 1991.

“Many individuals consider him as one of many prime 5 defenseman,” Jean Potvin advised Psyched, a sports activities psychology journal, in 2007. “I used to be not in that class. I used to be a better-than-average participant, however fortunate sufficient to play with some nice groups with the Islanders.”

Throughout Potvin’s first coaching camp, he developed a pores and skin situation that stored him off the ice for 3 days. That angered Coach Al Arbour.

“Al was screaming at me when he discovered the physician stated I couldn’t perspire for 3 days,” he advised The New York Occasions in 2016. Potvin sat within the stands, yelling at teammates for not giving their full effort. They responded by firing pucks at him.

“My teammates even honored me by beginning the Jean Potvin Coaching Camp Award,” he stated, “for the man lacking time with probably the most idiotic, unknown or unheard-of harm or illness, these you couldn’t hint.”

The Islanders improved rapidly beneath Arbour and with gamers like Clark Gillies (who died in January), Bryan Trottier, Bob Nystrom and Glenn Resch. Potvin had his finest yr in the course of the 1975-76 season, when the Islanders completed in second place within the Patrick Division, with 72 factors, third finest on the crew to Trottier’s 95 and his brother’s 98.

In a single recreation that season, Jean scored three objectives within the second interval and his brother scored two extra in a rout of the Detroit Crimson Wings. Jean gave among the credit score for his efficiency to his new mouthpiece.

“I advised the physician, ‘Preserve making them as quick as you may,’” he stated after the sport. “I’m gonna put on a brand new one each interval.’”

Potvin was traded to the Cleveland Barons in January 1978. He was with Cleveland for the remainder of that season and with the Minnesota North Stars in the course of the 1978-79 season, after the Barons had been absorbed into the Minnesota franchise. He returned to the Islanders as a free agent in 1979 and performed half time in the course of the subsequent two seasons, once they received the Stanley Cup, however didn’t take part within the playoffs.

Shortly after they received the Cup in 1980, with Nystrom scoring an extra time objective in opposition to the Flyers, Jean and Denis Potvin embraced within the Islanders’ locker room.

“They hugged and cried and spoke to one another softly in French,” Howie Rose, who was then the sports activities director of WHN radio and later turned the Islanders’ tv play-by-play announcer, stated in a telephone interview. “That they had received the Cup and realized the dream that they had had as youths, and to see the tears flowing as they spoke in a international language was very poignant.”

Jean René Potvin was born on March 25, 1949, in Ottawa. His father, Armand, was a civil servant; his mom, Lucille (St-Louis) Potvin, was a homemaker and a caterer.

Jean performed junior hockey for the Ottawa 67’s (as did Denis) and for the Springfield Kings of the American Hockey League earlier than becoming a member of the dad or mum membership, the Los Angeles Kings for 4 video games within the 1970-71 season. He was with the Kings once more in the course of the 1971-72 season throughout which he was traded to the Flyers.

As soon as he and Denis had been reunited on the Islanders, they turned roommates on the street and had been paired on the ice throughout energy performs.

“He was a brother, coach, supporter; he would take heed to my beefs and performed the middleman position with Al Arbour, who was robust on everyone,” Denis stated in a telephone interview. “Hockey Information as soon as had us on their cowl as ‘the Dynamic Duo.’”

For his 11-year profession, Jean Potvin accrued 46 objectives and 167 assists.

Along with his brother Denis, he’s survived by his spouse, Lorraine (Pollock) Potvin; his daughters, Kim Lomasney and Leslie Moreau; his son, Justin; 4 grandchildren, and one other brother, Robert.

After he retired, Potvin was the radio analyst for the Islanders till 1989. However he had already begun a protracted profession as a stockbroker and salesman for varied funding corporations. Most not too long ago he was a senior vp of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn & Queens, specializing in fund-raising.

Gross sales and fund-raising suited his gregarious persona, Denis Potvin stated.

“You may have a room full of individuals,” he stated, “however when Potsy walks in, the celebration begins.”