It's a very sad day in the hockey world as Hockey Hall of Famer head coach Al Arbour has passed away at the age of 82. "Radar" was named the head coach of the Islanders in 1973-74. He went 740-537-223 over 19 seasons. The 740 wins is most all-time for a single club. He won 119 career playoff games which is an NHL record for most with one club. He led the Islanders to 4 straight Stanley Cups from 1980-83. The 19 consecutive playoff series won is a record which may never be broken. Arbour was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996.

General Manager Garth Snow issued a statement

“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.”

I spoke with former Islander and Hockey Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine earlier and he had this to say

"Al had a special way of bringing out the best in his players, he was a master
at pushing the right buttons at the right times. As great of coach that he was and arguably
the best of all time, he was even a better person."

New York Times Hockey Writer Allan Kreda joins the podcast to talk about the passing of Al Arbour

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