Islanders legend Denis Potvin stoked for team’s new home

The Islanders are nearing the completion of their new home at UBS Arena, and one of the team’s icons couldn’t help but contain his excitement.

Denis Potvin, the franchise’s captain during the dynasty years and a Hockey Hall of Famer, was a guest on the Talking Isles podcast when he was asked about the building as the next chapter for the organization.

“It was unreal,” he said at the end of a 40-plus minute interview. “It was terrific.”

Potvin acknowledged he took a tour of the new facility when he and several other of the franchise’s alumni were back on Long Island during the Islanders’ run in the playoffs. He even noted that the guide pointed out why the seats in the first row are a certain level above the penalty box. Which Potvin was told was purposely constructed that way so that there would be no obstructed view of the ice and be as close as possible. Isles fans might take that as a jab at another previous home that had those difficulties (cough, cough, Barclays Center).

Another element Potvin enjoyed was being told how the building’s outlook has been made to keep the noise. As the first face of the franchise, he knows a thing or two about how loud it was during the Coliseum’s heyday and how much it played a role in the team’s success.

“You know how the Barn ‘Fort Neverlose’…it would just rock,” Potvin said. What they did was measure the space between the ice and the top of the ceiling. Apparently, the Coliseum is 92 feet. UBS Arena is going to be 93 feet. So they have tried to get everything that makes the Coliseum such a great building to play in  and bring all of that to UBS. I was just super impressed.”

Potvin went on to praise owners Jon Ledecky for how much of the fan-input went into the thought process of how the arena was shaped. Beyond that, he gave a ringing endorsement to Ledecky and Scott Malkin for the job they’ve done in bringing back the alumni from the organization like no one ever has before.

“That makes us all quite grateful to be a part of the growth of the team.”

You can listen to the full interview with Potvin here: https://www.nhl.com/islanders/news/talkin-isles-denis-potvin/c-325944096

—

While Potvin, a former captain of the team, wasn’t a physical specimen back during his playing days, the Islanders’ current captain, Andres Lee, most is.

We’ve all gotten know that Lee’s absurd-looking legs have become a popular topic among the fanbase, but now other NHLers are in complete awe of just how freakish they are.

Lee had his season end this past year with an unfortunate ACL injury, but based on the clip above, it looks like those tree trunks that are his legs are in top shape and he’ll be ready to go come training camp next month.