Al Arbour, who coached Isles 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. Arbour had been in declining health, dealing with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and living in a long-term care facility in Florida. Beginning in 1973-74, Arbour 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 said. – AP