1969-70 O-Pee-Chee 178 Al Arbour Hockey Card (Front)
1969-70 O-Pee-Chee 178 Al Arbour Hockey Card (Back)
1969-70 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
Audio Version at Spotify
Card Notes
Al is possibly the most under-rated defenseman in the NHL. A strong leader, this veteran defenseman is captain of the St. Louis team.
Al won the Eddie Shore Award as best defenseman in the AHL, 1964-65.
En Français
Al est sans doute le plus sous-estimé joueur de défense de la LNH. Un habile meneur de jeu, ce défense vétéran est le capitaine de l’équipe de St-Louis.
Al a gagné le trophée Eddie Shore comme meilleur joueur de défense de la LHA en 1964-65.
Details
Al Arbour was the recipient of the Eddie Shore Award in 1964-65 as a member of the Rochester Americans. He helped the Amerks win the Calder Cup championship that year, taking out the Hershey Bears in the final.
A regular in the NHL until the Toronto Maple Leafs picked him up prior to the 1961-62 season. He had five years of steady play with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks but after appearing in 52 games for the Buds in 1961-62, he was relegated mostly to the minors until the 1967 NHL expansion. He played just 14 games for Toronto over a five year stretch.
Expansion brought new life to his career and Arbour had four years back in the NHL with the Blues before retiring as a player. Of course, he stepped behind the bench as head coach and had himself a Hockey Hall of Fame worthy career with the Blues and New York Islanders.
Between 1953-54 and 1970-71, Al Arbour appeared in 626 regular season and 86 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Red Wings, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs and Blues. He won Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings, Blackhawks and Maple Leafs while going to the final in the first three years of the Blues existence. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 in the Builders Category.