Maven's Memories: Rich Torrey's Portrait of Denis Potvin Will Be Big

Denis Potvin always will rank among the biggest heroes in Islanders history.

He captained the team to an unprecedented four Stanley Cups and 19 straight playoff series victories. 

He is regarded as one of the greatest defensemen -- if not the greatest -- of all-time. 

That's big-stuff no matter how you shoot a puck or curve a stick.

But when it comes to big stuff and the Isles Hall of Fame backliner -- as the saying goes -- "you ain't seen nothing yet."

That's because artist Richard Torrey of Shoreham, Long Island currently is working on a life-size portrait of Potvin which -- as Rich puts it "is the largest thing I've ever worked on, bar-none."

Before we get to the bigness issue, first a word about general manager Bill Torrey's second son. 

An accomplished book illustrator, comic strip artist, author and general man-about-hockey-rinks, Torrey and I have been pals since Hector was a pup. So when I learned about the Potvin project, The Maven concluded that it's a Torrey Story and worth of a few questions.

And since there were so many heroes on the "Dynasty Team," I wondered why Rich chose the captain and not, say, Bill Smith, Bob Nystrom or Mike Bossy, just to name a few other heroes.

"It all started oddly enough in Florida," Rich explained. "That's where my Dad lived before he passed away. My three brothers and I finally flew down there to clean out his home and go through his archives.

"There were many clippings and photos from the Cup years including the epic shot after Bob Nystrom scored the Cup-winner in 1980. And, frankly, that originally was the one that I had in mind in the first place."

Nystrom stands side by side with Potvin in the gallery of heroes. I couldn't guess why Rich switched.

Torrey: "I decided to go with something that was more overarching in terms of the idea of greatness. What came to mind was the image of Denis holding up The Cup -- to me, at least -- represented the culmination of the Cup year struggles.

"The captain holding the trophy in the air struck me as the ultimate reaching of the top of the heap in a way nothing else did. Wearing the 'C,' he represents them all and holding that Cup above him first; that epitomized the greatness of it all."

Until this challenge emerged, Torrey specialized in book illustrations that were no larger than 17”x 11". Denis in oil will be 36"x48”.

"I told Denis about it," Rich said, "and I may end up doing two versions and give him one. How long will it take? That's a good question but I'm figuring that I can finish it in the next two or three months."

Never having been a painter -- except for one stint in the third grade at Public School 54 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with Miss Agnes McNeely; she gave me a C-minus grade -- I couldn't imagine how an artist such as Rich attacks the most difficult aspect of the work.

He chuckled: "The hardest part is the fact that -- with much of my career -- I haven't the faintest idea of what I'm doing. As the legendary artist Pablo Picasso once said, 'I'm always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.'

"That's basically been the story of my whole career and, I dare say, that was the story of my father's career as well."

Torrey has been working on the Potvin Project for about six months with no specific target date for completion.

But this much is certain; it will be completed -- likely by playoff time -- and then there'll be the question as to where it will make its world premiere.

"Personally," Rich concluded, "I'd love to put it in the UBS Arena. But who knows?"

Then, a pause: "But this much I do know, there will be many more to follow!"