Al Arbour...

On Saturday, George Vecsey of the New York Times wrote a terrific column on former New York Islanders coach Al Arbour.

Arbour, 75, was signed to a one-game contract by the Islanders and coached his 1,500th game on Saturday, a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh I might add. The idea was hatched by current Islanders coach Ted Nolan. For that brilliant idea and his brief but impressive start as Islanders coach, I will forever be a Ted Nolan fan.

Arbour is the definition of decency. A steady ship in the sea.

I marveled at his wisdom as the Islanders tacked up banners to the Coliseum rafters the way advertisers slap billboards on the train platforms of the LIRR. Arbour was equally tough on his stars as he was on his fourth line journeymen. Together with then-GM Bill Torrey, Arbour and the Islanders formed a front office/coaching tandem that has never been topped in the annals of New York sports. Check that! Strike the words New York.

The runners-up? Cashman and Joe Torre came close. Maybe Fred Claire and Lasorda out in LA? Red Holzman and Eddie Donovan might be the closest duo, but they 'only' won NBA titles in '70 and '73. The Islanders were formed, threatened to be contenders for 3-4 years when Les Habs were dominating, then dominated the NHL for half a decade.

Arbour and his wife, Claire, might be settling back to Longboat Key, Fla as I type this out. Wouldn't it be wonderful if he read it somehow? Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to tell him that he introduced and taught the real true meaning of sport and hockey to a generation of fans who - literally - grew up with the Islanders?

Don't you think he would take pride in that fact as much as he took pride in his 1,500th game as a coach?

Thanks Al. Thanks for being yourself. It made my life growing up without my Dad a little better and a little bit more fun. Maybe, somehow, you steped into that role without even knowing it?

See Vecsey's column by clicking the headline above.