Al Arbour is hired as Head Coach of the Islanders, as the team heads into its second season. Arbour cuts the team's goals against by 100 in the first season and leads the team to winning records every season after until his first retirement in 1986.

Arbour wins the Jack Adams Award, given to “the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed to the most to his team’s success,” by the NHL Broadcaster’s Association. Arbour only wins the Jack Adams once in his career.

The Islanders win their first of four Stanley Cups under Arbour’s leadership. The Isles beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the Final, winning the series four games to two. The Islanders defeat the LA Kings, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres in the previous rounds of the playoffs.

Arbour retires as the NHL’s all-time leader in games coached (1,606) and is second on the all-time coaching victories (781), playoff games coached (209) and playoff victories (123) lists behind Scotty Bowman.

Arbour returns to Nassau Coliseum to coach his 1,500th and final game with the Islanders. The Isles rally out of a 0-2 hole to win 3-2. Arbour also records his 740th win as the Islanders coach. A banner commemorating his 1,500 games coached is raised to the rafters.