Legendary coach Al Arbour dies at 82

Legendary hockey coach Al Arbour has died at age 82, the New York Islanders confirmed in a statement Friday.

From Islanders president and general manager Garth Snow:

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. 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 was named head coach of the Islanders at the start of the 1973-74 season, and remained behind the bench for 19 years. In that time, he led the club to 15 postseason appearances, and won four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-1983, a run that encompassed an unprecedented 19 straight playoff series victories.

He moved to the front office in 1985, but later returned to the bench, and led the club to the conference finals in 1993. He spent one more season behind the bench before retiring.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement:

The National Hockey League deeply mourns the passing of Al Arbour, revered head coach of the dynastic New York Islanders.

A four-time Stanley Cup champion as a player and a brilliant motivator and tactician as a coach, Al Arbour directed the Islanders' rapid transformation from expansion team to NHL powerhouse - guiding them to four straight Stanley Cup championships, five consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Final and an astounding 19 consecutive playoff series victories. As it grieves the loss of a profound influence on coaching and on the game itself, the NHL sends its heartfelt condolences to Al's family and friends, to his former teammates and to all the players he mentored.

At the behest of the Islanders' then-coach Ted Nolan, Arbour signed a one-day deal with the team on Nov. 3, 2007 in order to coach his 1,500th game with the club. New York picked up the win, giving Arbour 740 for his illustrious career.

He began his coaching career with St. Louis Blues, for whom he coached 107 games, winning 42. Arbour was elected into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1996, and sits second only to Scotty Bowman in terms of games coached (1,607) and won (782).

Arbour also played for 14 years as a defenseman, scoring 12 goals, adding 58 assists, and winning four Cups.