Al Arbour

THW Exclusive: Rich Pilon Talks Arbour, Isles and More

TheHockeyWriters.com’s Patrick Hickey Jr. chats with former New York Islanders defenseman Rich Pilon, who discusses his career and the impact he left on the game.

A 15-year NHL veteran, Pilon was known as a tough as nails, stay at home defenseman who wasn’t scared to mix it up with anyone. Amassing 1,745 penalty minutes during his career, Pilon faced off with everyone from Bo Probert to Eric Lindros and is regarded as one of the most physical players of his era.

Chatting about the late 80s Islanders to the magical 1993 team that beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins to capture the Patrick Division, Pilon lets us know what was so special about that group of players and the Nassau Coliseum during the playoffs. Pilon also shares his thoughts on a few players on the current-day Isles and his future, in coaching.

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THW Exclusive: Rich Pilon Talks Arbour, Isles and More

Mick Vukota Talks Islanders, Arbour, Fighting

The New York Islanders have had plenty of enforcers and tough guys in their history, from dynasty members Clark Gillies and Garry Howatt, to lesser-known brawlers the likes of Ken Belanger and Eric Cairns, but Mick Vukota, with 1,879 penalty minutes in the orange and blue, found a way to become a force on the Island and in the NHL.

From his infamous battles with Tie Domi and Craig Berube to his time on the Islanders in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the undrafted Vukota saw plenty of players, coaches and owners come and go and leave their mark on the franchise. From the first place Islanders of ’88, who were defeated by the upstart Devils, to the magical ’93 team that beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins without their leading scorer Pierre Turgeon, Vukota’s tenure with the team was an intense one.

In this exclusive interview with TheHockeyWriters.com, Vukota discusses his time in the WHL, playing with future teammate Travis Green, to the different effect Isles head coaches Al Arbour and Mike Milbury had on the youth of the Islanders. Vukota also discusses the changes in the game and how the deletion of fighting all together isn’t necessarily a good thing.

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Mick Vukota Talks Islanders, Arbour, Fighting