This Day in Isles History: May 15

May 15, 1973 -The New York Islanders drafted a franchise cornerstone and future Hall of Famer when they selected Denis Potvin first overall in 1973. Potvin's resume is second-to-none: captain of the Islanders four Stanley Cup winning teams, three Norris Trophies for best defenseman (1976, 78 and 79), a Calder Trophy and 1052 points in 1060 games - all with the Isles.
When he retired in 1988, he left as the NHL's highest-scoring defenseman ever, and the first to score 300 goals and 1,000 points. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991 and had his number retired by the team in 1992.

That sterling career started on May 15, but that day was not without its drama. Montreal Canadiens GM Sam Pollock made several substantial offers to Bill Torrey to trade the first-overall pick, but the Isles GM held firm. Stan Fischler chronicled the event in his Maven's Memories column.

From
Maven's Memories: The Tough Corralling of Denis Potvin
:
By this time the tension could be cut by 10 shrinks. As league executives prepared for a first pick, NHL President Clarence Campbell announced, "We are ready to begin."
Torrey was about to announce his choice when it felt as if the entire audience had become enveloped in a collective case of lockjaw. Pollock unexpectedly raised his hand and made a request of Campbell:
"May I interrupt for a moment to have a word with Mister Torrey?"
Time out was called and the two hockey bosses huddled. Meanwhile, the object of their affections, Potvin, stewed in his seat. "My worst fears were about to be confirmed. They were about to make a deal."
"Sammy wouldn't give up," Bow Tie Bill remembered.
Fortunately, Torrey had a good memory. He recalled that a couple of years earlier Pollock had convinced the California Golden Seals to absorb some of his discardable veterans for its top pick in the 1971 draft. As a result, Pollock emerged with Guy Lafleur a future Hall of Famer and Stanley Cup star.
Torrey's aide, Jim Devellano, was among the onlookers concerned about a possible change of Bill's mind.
Devellano: "Some of our people genuinely were worried that Bill would make a deal. But it would be going against everything we were trying to accomplish. We all knew that going through that first season and losing so much at least in the end we'd have a shot at a great young player.
"On the other side, there never was the slightest doubt that we would select Denis. You don't pass on a franchise-maker."
In the final dramatic moment of the melodrama, Pollock whispered in Torrey's ear.
"Sammy made one last offer," Torrey said. "I listened and then he returned to his table. I went up to the dais."
A hush descended on the draft as Bow Tie Bill intoned, "THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS WISH TO DRAFT AS THEIR FIRST CHOICE -- DENIS POTVIN!"
And that's how the franchise-maker was born as a big-leaguer!