Al Arbour
Encyclopedia
Alger Joseph "Radar" Arbour (born November 1, 1932 in Sudbury, Ontario) is a retired Canadian ice hockey
player
and a coach and executive in the National Hockey League
(NHL).
winning the Stanley Cup. He later skated for the Chicago Black Hawks
, Toronto Maple Leafs
, and St. Louis Blues
. Arbour also won the Stanley Cup
as a player with the 1960–61 Chicago Black Hawks
and the 1961–62 and 1963–64 Toronto Maple Leafs
. Arbour, along with teammate Ed Litzenberger
, is one of eleven players to win consecutive Stanley Cups with two different teams. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. Arbour was also the first captain of the expansion St. Louis Blues when they lost in Cup finals in 1968, 1969, 1970 (all in four consecutive games). One of the few professional athletes to wear eyeglasses when competing, Arbour was the last NHL player to wear them on the ice.
in 1970, taking over as coach after playing for the Blues for parts of four seasons. Following two additional seasons with St. Louis
, he was recruited by GM Bill Torrey
to take over a young New York Islanders
team that had set a then-NHL record for futility by winning only 12 games in their inaugural season, 1972–73.
defenceman Brad Park
said after the Islanders beat their crosstown rivals for the first time, "They have a system. They look like a hockey team."
The 1974–75 Islanders finished third in their division with 88 points, which qualified them for the playoffs, where they defeated the heavily-favored Rangers in overtime of the deciding third game of their first-round series. In the next round, the Isles found themselves down three games to none in a best of seven quarterfinal series against the Pittsburgh Penguins
. Prior to game four, Arbour challenged his team: he told them that anyone who did not believe that the Islanders could come back and win the series should pack their gear and never return. The Islanders rebounded with three straight victories to tie the series, then prevailed in Game 7 by a score of 1–0. It was only the second time in major sports history, and the first since 1942, that a team won a series after trailing 3–0. Since then, only the 2004 Boston Red Sox
and the 2009–2010 Philadelphia Flyers
have accomplished this. The Isles then faced the Philadelphia Flyers
in the next round, again fell behind 3–0, and once again tied the series, although the Flyers prevailed in Game 7 and went on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
The team quickly rose to the rank of contenders, then favorites, over the next four years, but they were not able to break through and become champions. Despite achieving great regular season success, culminating in the 1978–79 campaign in which they finished with the best record in the NHL, the Islanders suffered a series of letdowns in the playoffs. In 1976 and 1977, they lost to the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens
, and then suffered an upset to the Toronto Maple Leafs
in 1978. Then, in 1979, the rival Rangers, considered by journalists and commentators to be an inferior team, defeated Arbour's Islanders in a six game semifinal series. Arbour won the Jack Adams Award
for the team's stellar regular season, but he determined that he had the wrong set of priorities in place. After the loss, he no longer placed much emphasis on the regular season finish and instead devoted his team's energy and focus to how they will perform in the playoffs.
During the 1979–1980 season, the Islanders struggled. However, following the acquisition of Butch Goring
in March, the Islanders completed the regular season with a twelve-game unbeaten streak. The regular season run carried over to the playoffs and the Islanders captured their first Stanley Cup
championship on May 24, 1980 by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime of game six.
Arbour and the Islanders went on capture three more consecutive Cups, a record for an American hockey club. Along the way, his team set records for consecutive regular season victories, consecutive Finals victories, and playoff series victories, cementing the team as one of the greatest dynasties not only in hockey, but professional sports. By the time the Islanders were dethroned by the Edmonton Oilers
in the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals
, the club had strung together nineteen consecutive playoff series victories, a professional sports record. No team in any of the four major sports has strung together four straight championships since.
Arbour retired from coaching following the 1985–86 season and accepted a position in the Islanders front office.
, and Arbour returned to the bench. Most of the veterans of the dynasty had since left the team, and the Islanders missed the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
Arbour had one more run deep into the playoffs in 1992–93, where he led an overmatched Islanders team past the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins and to the Prince of Wales Conference Finals. Islanders star Pierre Turgeon
, who was seriously injured after Dale Hunter
hit him from behind in the previous round, missed all but a few shifts of the second-round series against Pittsburgh. The Mario Lemieux
-led Penguins had finished first in the regular season and seemed primed for a third straight Stanley Cup victory. Journalists gave the Islanders no chance: Jim Smith of Newsday
, Long Island's hometown newspaper, predicted that without Turgeon, the defending champions would sweep the Islanders out of the playoffs in four games. Instead, Arbour's Islanders defeated Pittsburgh in overtime of the seventh game of a hard-fought series. In the semifinals, the Islanders lost to the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens
, who were led by their stellar goaltender Patrick Roy
. Three of the Isles' four losses came in overtime.
Arbour retired after the 1993–94 season, having led the Islanders to a second playoff berth where they were swept in the first round by the Presidents' Trophy
-winning New York Rangers
, who went on to capture the Stanley Cup. At that time Arbour had won 739 games as an Islander coach, and a banner with that number was raised to the rafters at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
on January 25, 1997.
, to coach his 1,500th game for the Islanders. Arbour said, "Ted is going to do most of the coaching, I think." At age 75, he became the oldest man ever to coach a National Hockey League game. The Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins
3–2, giving Arbour his 740th win. The 739 win banner was brought down, and replaced with one with the number 1500, representing the number of games coached. When the banner was lifted to the rafters, Arbour was joined by the entire Islanders team, his family, and Islander Alumni, including Mike Bossy
, Bryan Trottier
, and Pat LaFontaine
.
,
in NHL
history. Many hockey publications rank Bowman as the best coach in hockey history and Arbour as number two. This ranking is not without controversy, however, and those who believe Arbour to be the best ever point to his work turning struggling teams into champions, while Bowman usually took over teams that were already championship contenders. Arbour's team won the final playoff matchup between the two coaches in 1993.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player
Player (game)
A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games....
and a coach and executive in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL).
Playing career
Arbour started his playing career in 1954 with the Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
winning the Stanley Cup. He later skated for the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
. Arbour also won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
as a player with the 1960–61 Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and the 1961–62 and 1963–64 Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Arbour, along with teammate Ed Litzenberger
Ed Litzenberger
Edward C. J. "Eddie" Litzenberger was a Canadian ice hockey right winger from Neudorf, Saskatchewan. Tall and awkward in appearance, Litzenberger was donated to the Chicago Black Hawks by the Montreal Canadiens in his first year in the NHL...
, is one of eleven players to win consecutive Stanley Cups with two different teams. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. Arbour was also the first captain of the expansion St. Louis Blues when they lost in Cup finals in 1968, 1969, 1970 (all in four consecutive games). One of the few professional athletes to wear eyeglasses when competing, Arbour was the last NHL player to wear them on the ice.
Coaching
Arbour began his coaching career with St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1970, taking over as coach after playing for the Blues for parts of four seasons. Following two additional seasons with St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, he was recruited by GM Bill Torrey
Bill Torrey
William A. Torrey was a General Manager and executive in the National Hockey League, most famous for building up the expansion New York Islanders into a dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley Cups...
to take over a young New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
team that had set a then-NHL record for futility by winning only 12 games in their inaugural season, 1972–73.
New York Islanders, 1973–1986
In his first season as Isles' coach, Arbour's team finished last in the league for the second year in a row, but gave up 100 fewer goals and earned 56 points, up from 30 the year before. New York RangersNew York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
defenceman Brad Park
Brad Park
Douglas Bradford Park is a retired ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings...
said after the Islanders beat their crosstown rivals for the first time, "They have a system. They look like a hockey team."
The 1974–75 Islanders finished third in their division with 88 points, which qualified them for the playoffs, where they defeated the heavily-favored Rangers in overtime of the deciding third game of their first-round series. In the next round, the Isles found themselves down three games to none in a best of seven quarterfinal series against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. Prior to game four, Arbour challenged his team: he told them that anyone who did not believe that the Islanders could come back and win the series should pack their gear and never return. The Islanders rebounded with three straight victories to tie the series, then prevailed in Game 7 by a score of 1–0. It was only the second time in major sports history, and the first since 1942, that a team won a series after trailing 3–0. Since then, only the 2004 Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and the 2009–2010 Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
have accomplished this. The Isles then faced the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the next round, again fell behind 3–0, and once again tied the series, although the Flyers prevailed in Game 7 and went on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
The team quickly rose to the rank of contenders, then favorites, over the next four years, but they were not able to break through and become champions. Despite achieving great regular season success, culminating in the 1978–79 campaign in which they finished with the best record in the NHL, the Islanders suffered a series of letdowns in the playoffs. In 1976 and 1977, they lost to the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, and then suffered an upset to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1978. Then, in 1979, the rival Rangers, considered by journalists and commentators to be an inferior team, defeated Arbour's Islanders in a six game semifinal series. Arbour won the Jack Adams Award
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
for the team's stellar regular season, but he determined that he had the wrong set of priorities in place. After the loss, he no longer placed much emphasis on the regular season finish and instead devoted his team's energy and focus to how they will perform in the playoffs.
During the 1979–1980 season, the Islanders struggled. However, following the acquisition of Butch Goring
Butch Goring
Robert "Butch" Goring is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. He is a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Islanders. Since retiring as a player he has served as head coach of...
in March, the Islanders completed the regular season with a twelve-game unbeaten streak. The regular season run carried over to the playoffs and the Islanders captured their first Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship on May 24, 1980 by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime of game six.
Arbour and the Islanders went on capture three more consecutive Cups, a record for an American hockey club. Along the way, his team set records for consecutive regular season victories, consecutive Finals victories, and playoff series victories, cementing the team as one of the greatest dynasties not only in hockey, but professional sports. By the time the Islanders were dethroned by the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
, the club had strung together nineteen consecutive playoff series victories, a professional sports record. No team in any of the four major sports has strung together four straight championships since.
Arbour retired from coaching following the 1985–86 season and accepted a position in the Islanders front office.
New York Islanders, 1988–1994
Following a disappointing start to the 1988–89 season, Torrey fired Terry SimpsonTerry Simpson
Terry Simpson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and a former NHL head coach. He only played one season of professional hockey in 1964–65 for the Jacksonville Rockets of the EHL...
, and Arbour returned to the bench. Most of the veterans of the dynasty had since left the team, and the Islanders missed the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
Arbour had one more run deep into the playoffs in 1992–93, where he led an overmatched Islanders team past the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins and to the Prince of Wales Conference Finals. Islanders star Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche...
, who was seriously injured after Dale Hunter
Dale Hunter
Dale Robert Hunter is a former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.-NHL career:...
hit him from behind in the previous round, missed all but a few shifts of the second-round series against Pittsburgh. The Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
-led Penguins had finished first in the regular season and seemed primed for a third straight Stanley Cup victory. Journalists gave the Islanders no chance: Jim Smith of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, Long Island's hometown newspaper, predicted that without Turgeon, the defending champions would sweep the Islanders out of the playoffs in four games. Instead, Arbour's Islanders defeated Pittsburgh in overtime of the seventh game of a hard-fought series. In the semifinals, the Islanders lost to the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, who were led by their stellar goaltender Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
. Three of the Isles' four losses came in overtime.
Arbour retired after the 1993–94 season, having led the Islanders to a second playoff berth where they were swept in the first round by the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
-winning New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, who went on to capture the Stanley Cup. At that time Arbour had won 739 games as an Islander coach, and a banner with that number was raised to the rafters at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
on January 25, 1997.
New York Islanders, 2007
On November 3, 2007, Al Arbour returned, at the request of Islanders coach Ted NolanTed Nolan
Theodore John Nolan is currently the Head Coach of Latvia men's national ice hockey team...
, to coach his 1,500th game for the Islanders. Arbour said, "Ted is going to do most of the coaching, I think." At age 75, he became the oldest man ever to coach a National Hockey League game. The Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
3–2, giving Arbour his 740th win. The 739 win banner was brought down, and replaced with one with the number 1500, representing the number of games coached. When the banner was lifted to the rafters, Arbour was joined by the entire Islanders team, his family, and Islander Alumni, including Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
, Bryan Trottier
Bryan Trottier
Bryan John Trottier is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, two with the Penguins and one as an assistant coach with the...
, and Pat LaFontaine
Pat LaFontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
.
Awards and honors
He is a member of the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
,
- the New York Islanders Hall of Fame, and
- the Nassau County Sports Hall of FameNassau County Sports Hall of FameThe Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame honors elite athletes who have roots in Nassau County, New York. The Hall of Fame presentation takes places at the Nassau County Sports Commission "Salute to Champions" Awards Dinner annually every April.-Inductees:...
. - Jack Adams AwardJack Adams AwardThe Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
as Coach 1979 - Stanley Cup Champion as a player 1954 (Detroit), 1961(Chicago), 1962, 1964(Toronto)
- Stanley Cup Champion as Coach 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 (Head Coach NY Islanders)
- Calder Cup Champion 1965, 1966 (with Rochester Americans)
Legacy
Arbour is currently second in wins and games coached behind Scotty BowmanScotty Bowman
William Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
in NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
history. Many hockey publications rank Bowman as the best coach in hockey history and Arbour as number two. This ranking is not without controversy, however, and those who believe Arbour to be the best ever point to his work turning struggling teams into champions, while Bowman usually took over teams that were already championship contenders. Arbour's team won the final playoff matchup between the two coaches in 1993.
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular season | STL | 71–72 | 44 | 19 | 19 | 6 | 44 | 3rd in West | 4 | 7 | .364 | Semi-finalist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | 72–73 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| STL Total | 107 | 42 39.3% |
40 37.4% |
25 23.3% |
109 | 4 | 7 | .364 | 1 Playoff Appearance | |||||
| NYI New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
73–74 | 78 | 19 | 41 | 18 | 56 | 8th in East | – | – | – | – | |||
| NYI | 74–75 | 80 | 33 | 25 | 22 | 88 | 3rd in Norris | 1 | 2 | .333 | Semi-Finalist | |||
| NYI | 75–76 | 80 | 42 | 21 | 17 | 101 | 2nd in Patrick | 7 | 6 | .538 | Semi-Finalist | |||
| NYI | 76–77 | 80 | 47 | 21 | 12 | 106 | 2nd in Patrick | 8 | 4 | .667 | Semi-Finalist | |||
| NYI | 77–78 | 80 | 48 | 17 | 15 | 111 | 1st in Patrick | 3 | 4 | .429 | Quarter-Finalist | |||
| NYI | 78–79 | 80 | 51 | 15 | 14 | 116 | 1st in Patrick | 9 | 6 | .600 | Semi-Finalist | |||
| NYI | 79–80 | 80 | 39 | 28 | 13 | 91 | 2nd in Patrick | 15 | 6 | .714 | Won Stanley Cup | |||
| NYI | 80–81 | 80 | 48 | 18 | 14 | 110 | 1st in Patrick | 15 | 3 | .833 | Won Stanley Cup | |||
| NYI | 81–82 | 80 | 54 | 16 | 10 | 118 | 1st in Patrick | 15 | 4 | .789 | Won Stanley Cup | |||
| NYI | 82–83 | 80 | 42 | 26 | 12 | 96 | 2nd in Patrick | 15 | 5 | .750 | Won Stanley Cup | |||
| NYI | 83–84 | 80 | 50 | 26 | 4 | 104 | 1nd in Patrick | 12 | 10 | .545 | Finalist | |||
| NYI | 84–85 | 80 | 40 | 34 | 6 | 86 | 3rd in Patrick | 4 | 6 | .400 | 2nd Round | |||
| NYI | 85–86 | 80 | 39 | 29 | 12 | 90 | 3rd in Patrick | 0 | 3 | .000 | Division Semi-Finalist | |||
| NYI | 88–89 | 53 | 21 | 29 | 3 | 45 | 6th in Patrick | – | – | – | – | |||
| NYI | 89–90 | 80 | 31 | 38 | 11 | 73 | 4th in Patrick | 1 | 4 | .200 | Division Semi-Finalist | |||
| NYI | 90–91 | 80 | 25 | 45 | 10 | 60 | 6th in Patrick | – | – | – | – | |||
| NYI | 91–92 | 80 | 34 | 35 | 11 | 79 | 5th in Patrick | – | – | – | – | |||
| NYI | 92–93 | 84 | 40 | 37 | 7 | 87 | 3rd in Patrick | 9 | 9 | .500 | Conference Finalist | |||
| NYI | 93–94 | 84 | 36 | 36 | 12 | 84 | 4th in Atlantic | 0 | 4 | .000 | Conference Quarter-Finalist | |||
| NYI | 07–08 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | |||
| NYI total | 1,500 | 740 49.3% |
537 35.8% |
223 14.9% |
1,703 | 114 | 76 | .600 | 15 Playoff Appearances 4 Stanley Cups |
|||||
| Total | 1,607 | 782 48.7% |
577 35.9% |
248 15.4% |
1,812 | 118 | 83 | .587 | 16 Playoff Appearances 4 Stanley Cups |
|||||