Legendary Isles Coach Al Arbour Dies at 82

Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour, who coached the New York Islanders to four straight Stanley Cups, died on Friday at the age of 82.

Arbour passed away at his home in Sarasota where he was being treated for Parkinson’s disease and dementia, according to the NHL.

Arbour’s legend is massive. Leading the Islanders to four straight Cups, he won 19 straight playoff series, including a run to the Final in 1984 before losing to the Edmonton Oilers. No NHL team has ever won that many series in a row and no major sports team has won four straight titles since Arbour’s run. He is the NHL’s second most winning coach ever.

He also won three Stanley Cups as a player, including a Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks and two with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In an announcement of Arbour’s passing at the team’s site, Islanders general manager Garth Snow offered his thoughts:

“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 said. “The New York Islanders franchise has four Stanley Cups to its name, thanks in large part to Al’s incredible efforts. From his innovative coaching methods, to his humble way of life away from the game, Al is one of the reasons the New York Islanders are a historic franchise. On behalf of the entire organization, we send our deepest condolences to the entire Arbour family.”

Arbour coached for over 1,700 games and was behind the bench for 22 seasons, 19 of which were with the Isles.

Here are some of the tributes those around the hockey world have offered today.


https://twitter.com/jtbourne/status/637295675097509888

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