FLASHBACK: Al Arbour (2010)

WGBB Sports Talk New York

Originally aired March 7th, 2010 on WGBB's New York Hockey Talk.

Host Rob Kowal talks with former New York Islanders head coach Al Arbour. Rob began by speaking with Al a bit about his career as a defenseman in the NHL, where he won a Stanley Cup in Chicago with the Blackhawks , and two in Toronto with the Maple Leafs. Al discussed how playing on those Cup winning teams, and how he eventually became involved in coaching and his eventual start with the New York Islanders. Al talked about when the Islanders team started to turn a corner in the mid 1970s... how Al's coaching philosophy changed over those early years... the Isles 4 straight Cup winning teams... his decision to return to coach the team in 1988 after scouting for a few years... the 1992-93 Isles playoff run... how coaching has changed in the NHL compared to when he was behind the bench... the importance of knowing your players to be successful as a coach... what it was like to coach Isles star defenseman Denis Potvin and how he "hated his guts!"... his induction into the Hockey Hall-of-Fame in 1996... his return behind the bench for a game in 2007... his thoughts on whether or not the league today can or will see another dynasty like the Isles... his thoughts on the Isles team at the time... how the NHL game has changed over the year... the future of the Islanders on Long Island...