Islanders greats Denis Potvin and Bryan Trottier featured in limited-edition NFT set

Hall of Famers Denis Potvin and Bryan Trottier had adjoining dressing room stalls at Nassau Coliseum for the 13 seasons they shared as Islanders teammates.

Trottier would occasionally sing, only to be kiddingly told by Potvin he was no crooner. Yet Potvin would also praise his friend, frequently telling the other Islanders he wanted to go on the ice with Trottier.

Those recollections are included in a limited-edition set of four non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring Potvin and Trottier through a collaboration with Creative Studio Flux88 and Fanaply that was released on Tuesday.

The theme for the Islanders legends' first foray into the lucrative NFT market — Reuters reported in July that sales for this year have reached $2.5 billion, compared with $13.7 million for the first half of 2020 — is the end of the franchise’s era at the Coliseum.

The Islanders will play their first game at UBS Arena at Belmont Park on Nov. 20 against the Flames after opening the season with a 13-game road trip beginning on Oct. 14 at Carolina.

"I’ve been looking at NFTs ever since I read in the newspaper that somebody sold a painting for $62 million," Potvin said. "I thought, maybe I can paint as well.

"Several months ago, I was approached by not this particular group, but I was approached by a couple of other groups," Potvin added. "I had seen what was happening and, of course, was curious. I didn’t understand it at all, how it all worked. I really started to look it up and started feeling comfortable with it."

Potvin said what particularly interested him was the audio element he and Trottier were able to add to their NFT artwork, done by Kevin Briones.

Within the four-NFT collection, Potvin and Trottier each have an individual piece with their likeness and 80 of each are available at $40.

Potvin discusses the Islanders’ 3-2 win over their soon-to-be-rival Rangers at the Coliseum on Oct. 27, 1973. Potvin scored the first two goals of his career in that game, which also represented the Islanders’ first win of that season after starting 0-3-4. It was also the Islanders’ first win against the Rangers after losing all six games in their inaugural season by an aggregate 25-5.

Trottier’s individual NFT features audio of him discussing his first game at the Coliseum as he scored a hat trick and added two assists in a 7-0 win over the Kings on Oct. 11, 1975.

Potvin and Trottier’s recollections of sitting next to each other at the Coliseum — and of Trottier’s singing ability — come in a third NFT, with only 25 available for $250.

The fourth NFT — with only one piece available — is available via auction with the minimum bid at $2,000, and bidding closing on Thursday night. Depending on the size of the bid, the buyer will also receive anything from a video call with Trottier and Potvin to a day of golf and dinner with the duo. If the bid exceeds $25,000, the buyer will get a full weekend of activities with Trottier and Potvin.

Potvin, who also works with celebrity greeting company Cameo to deliver personalized messages, said he expects he and Trottier will continue to develop their NFT presence with future offerings.

"There are a multitude of things I could talk about," Potvin said. "To me, it could be better than writing a book. It could be a bunch of series. The idea of playing with my brother [Jean]. The idea of beating the Rangers in 1975. When Bill Torrey came to me in 1974, ‘I’ve just drafted a young man I think you’re going to like. His shoulders are wider than yours but his waist is a lot smaller. His name is Clark Gillies.’ "

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.