The New York Islanders announced Friday morning that former Islanders and St. Louis Blues coach, Al Arbour, passed away this week.
Arbour coached the Blues from 1971-1973, being called into GM Scotty Bowman’s office in the middle of the 1970-1971 season and promoted from captain to coach only a few hours before a game. Arbour’s willingness to do whatever he needed for the team, including leave playing for coaching and taking on an entirely new career at the drop of Bowman’s hat made him my favorite Blues player and coach, though he skated far before my time.
Arbour was the Blues’ first captain, and was the last player in the NHL to wear glasses on the ice.