Al Arbour, who coached the New York Islanders to 4 Cup titles, dies at 82
Sports
Al Arbour, who coached the New York Islanders to 4 Cup titles, dies at 82
Al Arbour, the bespectacled gentleman of a coach who molded a young and talented New York Islanders franchise into an NHL dynasty that won four straight Stanley Cups in the early 1980s, has died. He was 82. The Islanders confirmed Arbour’s death in a release issued Friday afternoon. Arbour had been in declining health, battling Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and was living in Florida. Beginning in 1973-74, he led the Isles to 15 playoff appearances and won 119 playoff games — an NHL record with one team — over 19 seasons. His 740 career regular-season wins with the Islanders are the most with one NHL team.
Al will always be remembered as one of, if not the, greatest coaches ever to stand behind a bench in the history of the National Hockey League.
Islanders president and general manager Garth Snow
No team in any major sport has won four straight titles since Arbour’s Islanders did it. The Montreal Canadiens hold the NHL record with five straight titles (1956-60). Arbour’s success was a result of a lengthy period of stability on Long Island, where he was the coach of a team that was built by general manager Bill Torrey — the franchise’s first employee. In their heyday, the Islanders included core players like forwards Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier and Clark Gillies, defenseman Denis Potvin and goalie Billy Smith. Arbour’s death comes at a time when the Islanders are in transition. The franchise is moving from its longtime and outdated home — the Nassau Coliseum — in Uniondale, N.Y., to Barclays Center in Brooklyn this season.
