On Feb. 25th, 1979 a very good Rangers team was firing on all cylinders. Ulf Nilsson, a young forward with a lot of promise was becoming an offensive force. Enter Denis Potvin. The hulking defenseman crushed the kid, resulting in a broken ankle. 

Nilsson was lost for the season and was never the same again. Rangers fans still ponder, if Ulf was healthy, would they have won the Cup that year against Montreal? It doesn’t matter, because on that night, the chant was born that still resonates today.

Potvin Socks?

Well, the chant just got a new twist.

The New York Islanders and Denis Potvin will help raise some money for the Islanders Children’s Foundation by selling Potvin Socks!

“You’ve been chanting it for 43 years,” Potvin said. “Now you can wear it!”

Denis Potvin is still considered Public Enemy No. 1 in Rangerstown for his infamous body check Ulf Nilsson. (Sorry Tom Wilson, it isn’t you.)

The debate rages on about whether or not Potvin deliberately tried to hurt Nilsson. What cannot be debated is the reason why the Rangers still vilify the Hall of Fame defenseman.

It’s not just for the hit, but because he became the living embodiment of the great Islanders dynasty which won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-1983 and defeated the Rangers in the playoffs each year between 1981-1984. 

“By the time we got to 2010 it was kind of fun,” Potvin said. “There’s a whole new generation so I’m taking it kind of like handing over an olive branch. It’s kind of saying, hey, this has been great, you’ve kept my name alive over these years. Potvin socks seems to make sense.”

New York Islanders

🗣️POTVIN SOCKS

The chants have been heard.

Get your exclusive Potvin socks or hats at #Isles Lab tomorrow night, and meet Denis Potvin pregame. 10% of proceeds from the socks go to the Islanders Children’s Foundation.

Limited tickets just released: https://t.co/JkyDFo2E5q pic.twitter.com/46P737dNuw

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 25, 2022

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THE BIRTH OF “THE CHANT”

You all know the chant but some of you are clueless as to how it came to be. On Feb. 25th, 1979 a very good Rangers team was firing on all cylinders. Ulf Nilsson, was a key offensive forward for the club.. Enter Denis Potvin, with his brute strength crushing Ulf into the boards and breaking his ankle.

Nilsson was lost for the season and was never the same again. Rangers fans still ponder, if Ulf was healthy, would they have won the Cup that year against Montreal? It doesn’t matter, because on that night, the greatest sports chant in history was born, “POTVIN SUCKS!” And by the way you voted, still resonates today.

#1 Rangers Villain

Denis Potvin earned his number one position on our “villains list” for infamous body check Ulf Nilsson. The debate rages on about whether or not Potvin deliberately tried to maim Nilsson. What cannot be debated is the true reason why, to this day, Rangerstown carries on the tradition of treating Denis Potvin like Public Enemy Number One and that is because the Hall of Fame defenseman was the embodiment of the great Islander dynasty which won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-1983 and defeated the Rangers in the playoffs each year between 1981-1984. 

Author’s note: Assist to Jeff Weinstein on last paragraph

5: Dave “The Hammer” Schultz (Philadelphia Flyers)

Schultz, and the rest of the his “Broad Street Bully” teammates dominated and terrorized most of the National Hockey League during a large portion of the 1970’s. The “Bullies” used intimidation and brutality to run roughshod over smaller, feckless opponents. Schultz qualified for our “villains list” for one reason and one reason only and that was his savage jumping and subsequent beat-down of Ranger defenseman Dale Rolfe in game 7 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Semi-Finals. If you’ve never witnessed this particular scrum and have a weak stomach, my suggestion is you leave it alone as this unbridled carnage is not for the faint of heart.

4: Dave Brown (Philadelphia Flyers)

Like Schultz, the hulking, intimidating Brown is a former Flyer that is on our list for a singular, viscous moment that lives in Garden lore in infamy.
Picture it: October 26th, 1987 at Madison Square Garden. Ranger forward Tomas Sandstrom is in his proverbial office on top of the goalie crease battling with Flyer net-minder Ron Hextall. Hextall freezes the puck and play stops. An unsuspecting Sandstrom is then nearly decapitated by one of the most shocking, thuggish, utterly disgusting acts of goon-ism in professional sports history.

After the whistle had blown, Brown darts in, from behind and with all his might, cross-checks the Swede in the neck sending #28 crashing down to the ice. Brown received a 15-game suspension for his act of cowardice that, frankly, should have been at least twice that length. Sandstrom was no angel, any Blueshirt enthusiast who followed the team back then could attest to that. But, the quasi-crime Brown committed on that October evening in 1987 forever etched his name on any Ranger fan’s enemy’s list.

3: Claude Lemieux (New Jersey Devils)

Lemieux qualifies for this article not for a singular act of violence and aggression like Schultz and Brown. Claude, the father of current Ranger forward Brendan Lemieux, appears on our list from a cumulative career of agitation, and down right abrasive play. Former Ranger great Brian Leetch famously stated that in the waning seconds of game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals between the Rangers and Devils, he alerted his teammates on the ice about Lemieux’s flair for dirty play and to be prepared. Heck, if you can find the bench-clearing brawl between New York and New Jersey after game 6 of the 1992 playoff battle, you’ll see Ranger tough guys Adam Graves and Tie Domi each seeking out the Devil in Red looking to get their pound of flesh. There is a modicum of irony watching and rooting for his boy Brendan skate for the team Claude use to enjoy menacing.

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2: Ron Hextall (Philadelphia Flyers/New York Islanders)

How deep and extreme was the hatred Ranger fans had for the former Flyer and Islander goalie? Well, when #27 would take the ice at the Garden donned in orange and black, the Faithful would serenade the fiery, and at times pugilistic Hextall with the following chant, “Drive a Porsche Hextall, Drive a Porsche.” You see, in November, 1985, Flyer goaltender Pelle Lindbergh tragically passed away in a fatal car accident when his Porsche crashed into a wall at 80 MPH. The insinuation of the chant which I am sure originated among the most die-hard, inebriated fans from the ol’ Blue seats was Hextall should follow in the footsteps of his Flyer predecessor in goal by purchasing the luxury automobile and driving recklessly. Obviously, we at Forever Blueshirts do not and would not have condoned such an odious chant if we were around back then. But, during Hextall’s tenure playing for two of the Rangers biggest, most hated rivals brought out the raw and unfiltered emotions of that era.

1: Denis Potvin (New York Islanders)

While the repugnant anti-Hextall chant has thankfully disappeared over time, the “Potvin Sucks” whistle remains a true Garden staple even though the former Islander captain retired from the NHL over 30 years ago. Denis Potvin earned his number one position on our “villains list” for two reasons. Number one was. of course the now infamous body check laid on former Ranger Ulf Nilsson on February 25th, 1979 which left the talented Swede with a broken ankle. The debate rages on about whether or not Potvin deliberately tried to maim Nilsson. What cannot be debated is the true reason why, to this day, Rangerstown carries on the tradition of treating Denis Potvin like Public Enemy Number One and that is because the Hall of Fame defenseman was the embodiment of the great Islander dynasty which won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-1983 and defeated the Rangers in the playoffs each year between 1981-1984.

Honorary mention: Red Dutton, Martin Brodeur, Matt Johnson, Mike Milbury, Dale Hunter, Alec Martinez, Adam Henrique, and Kenny Morrow.

Editor’s Note: For me personally there are a bazillion reasons to replace Hextall on this list with Mike Milbury. Especially with his atrocious commentary everytime he does a Rangers game for NBC. However, the shoe beat down of a fan takes the cake. – Anthony

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All is quiet at the Garden during a Rangers game, and you know what’s coming. It starts with a whistle, and then you hear: POTVIN SUCKS!

THE BIRTH OF “THE CHANT”

You all know the chant but some of you are clueless as to how it came to be. On Feb. 25th, 1979 a very good Rangers team was firing on all cylinders. Ulf Nilsson, a young forward with a lot of promise was becoming an offensive force. Enter Denis Potvin. The hulking defenseman crushed the kid, resulting in a broken ankle.

Nilsson was lost for the season and was never the same again. Rangers fans still ponder, if Ulf was healthy, would they have won the Cup that year against Montreal? It doesn’t matter, because on that night, the greatest sports chant in history was born, “POTVIN SUCKS!”

Younger fans today feel this chant has become dated and irrelevant. You will even see social media tweets railing against it. They also rarely participate in the chant at the games.

So what do you think? Is it still relevant? Fun? Do we get rid of it? The Rangers stopped playing the tune that preludes the chant at the Garden, so they’ve made the effort already. Join the 4B community and chime in with your thoughts in the comment section below.

Featured Image: Howard Simmonds/Daily News

In the pantheon of the Rangers-Islanders rivalry, there are games that stand up and stand out. Tonight at Madison Square Garden with both teams at the top of the Metro Division and jockeying for NY supremacy, this is destined to be “a classic”.

BATTLE FOR NEW YORK

This is the richest rivalry in both team’s history. Older fans that date back to the Rangers B.C. (before Cup) know the fear and loathing of playing the Islanders. Newer fans that only know the Rangers A.C. (after Cup) don’t. You can see how younger NYR fans have a swagger and confidence about playing their “inferior” rival across the Mid-Town Tunnel.

However, this season it’s the Islanders’ fans feeling good. Currently, the Isles are ahead of the Blueshirts by 5 points in the standings but they aren’t comfortable. The Rangers have 3 games in hand on the Islanders and a win tonight will seriously cut into the Isles hopes of staying ahead of the Rangers.

As Alain Vigneault said yesterday, “It’s going to be a New York Classic!” In celebration of tonight, let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane.

THE WAR BEGINS

The upstart Isles came into the league in 1972 and had early success against the Rangers. In the playoffs of 1975, the late J.P. Parise (Zach’s dad) scored 11 seconds into OT of game 3 in the best of 3 opening round. The Isles shocked the heavily favored Rangers, but in 1979 the team from the City got their revenge. The Islanders were a team on the verge of a dynasty, but the Rangers won in 6 games en route to the finals!

THE BIRTH OF “THE CHANT”

“Potvin Sucks!” You all know the chant but some of you are clueless as to how it came to be. On Feb. 25th, 1979 a very good Rangers team was firing on all cylinders. Ulf Nilsson, a young forward with a lot of promise was becoming an offensive force. Enter Denis Potvin. The hulking defenseman crushed the kid, resulting in a broken ankle. Nilsson was lost for the season and was never the same again. Rangers fans still ponder, if Ulf was healthy, would they have won the Cup that year against Montreal? It doesn’t matter, because on that night, the greatest sports chant in history was born, “POTVIN SUCKS!”

RANGERS REVENGE
Fast forward to 1994. The Islanders were now winners of 4 straight Cups and the Rangers were dealing with the “Curse of 1940”. Yes, the Rangers would finally win the Cup after 54 years. However, they needed to do something they hadn’t done in nearly 5 years. The Blueshirts had to win a game at the Nassau Coliseum.

March 5th, 1994 was a crucial game in that Championship season. If they didn’t break the Coliseum Hex, would they have beaten the Isles in the 1st round? In that game the Isles were flying and Richter was pulled early in the second, replaced by Healy. The former Islander did not fair better and was quickly yanked by Keenan in favor of Richter. It was crazy to say the least, as the Rangers had to make a few comebacks to get it tied at 4.

Late in the third period and I remember it vividly, Sergei Zubov would take a shot that smashed the jinx. The young Russian blueliner was just inside the zone when he reared back and let one fly. The blast was like a rocket that beat Ron Hextall for a 5-4 victory. The sight of Zubov dropping to his knees and looking to the heavens while celebrating still gives me chills.

TAKING THE FIGHT OUTSIDE

Last season, the Rangers took part in not one but two Stadium Series games at Yankee Stadium. They routed the Devils in the first contest and looked for the sweep against the Islanders.

The Isles wanted this one real bad and the game was tied going into the third period. Daniel Carcillo of all people stuck the dagger in Islander fans’ hearts to give the Rangers a 2-1 win. It was a milestone game for both franchises and the Islanders came up short.

BRAGGING RIGHTS
Tonight is not just another game in the rivalry. Tonight it’s about pride and bragging rights, not just for the fans but for the players. The Blueshirts want this one bad. I am sure the Islanders do to, but don’t they always when they play the big boys from the City?

The Islanders will be looking to make a statement that their season is no fluke. They want the league to know, not just the Rangers they are for real. The Blueshirts will also be looking to do the same. They want the league to know that last season’s Cup run was no joke.

They also want the Islanders to know, they aren’t ready to give up the top dog spot in New York.

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