Rangers fans can now wear a chant on their feet.
The Islanders have added “Potvin Socks” to their team store, a play on the longtime “Potvin Sucks” chant from Rangers fans at Madison Square Garden. Potvin himself cut a social media ad for the socks ahead of Wednesday’s Islanders-Rangers match at UBS Arena, which went on the Isles’ Twitter account.
The Islanders are selling Potvin Socks, a tongue-in-cheeck reference to the change about the defenseman. IslesLabs“You’ve been chanting it for 43 years,” Potvin says in the ad. “Now, you can wear it!.”
The chant dates back to 1979, when Potvin knocked Rangers forward Ulf Nilsson out of a game at the Garden, breaking his ankle with a hit when Nilsson’s skate blade was caught in a crevice on the poorly maintained Garden ice.
It’s regularly heard at the Garden to this day and even makes appearances elsewhere, including the Islanders’ game in Sunrise, Fla. on Sunday. (Coincidentally, Potvin, a former TV analyst for the Panthers, was in attendance at the 3-2 Islanders loss.)
Potvin won four Stanley Cup with the Islanders. Getty ImagesWhether the socks are a better fit for Rangers or Islanders fans is an open question. But it is nice to see the Islanders embracing the chant.
