The origin of the “Potvin Sucks” chant and should fans retire it
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
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