The American Hockey League joins the hockey community in mourning the loss of Al Arbour, who passed away Friday at the age of 82.
An honored member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Arbour is best known as the head coach of the New York Islanders during their run of four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1980 to 1983. Arbour is currently second all-time in wins and games coached in NHL history.
Prior to his coaching career, Arbour played 18 professional seasons, including five with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. In that time, he was named to four consecutive First AHL All-Star Teams, won two Calder Cup championships, and earned the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s outstanding defenseman in 1964-65.
In the NHL, Arbour was a member of Stanley Cup championship teams in Detroit (1954), Chicago (1961) and Toronto (1962, 1964). He received the Lester Patrick Trophy for his contributions to hockey in the United States in 1992, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.
Arbour is survived by his wife Claire and children Joann, Jay, Julie and Janice.
