Former NHL defenseman Arnie Brown has passed away.

Some sad news to report on this Saturday evening. 

According to a report from New York Rangers insider Larry Brooks of the New York Post, long time former National Hockey League defenseman Arnie Brown has died. Brown, who truly made a name for himself while wearing #4 for the New York Rangers, turned 77 years old this past January so hopefully his loved ones can take some solace in the fact that he lived a full and very eventful life. 

Brown, a native of Oshawam Ontario began his hockey career as a member of the Toronto St. Michael's of the Ontario Hockey Association where he played for 2 seasons. Brown would then play part of a season with the Toronto Malboros before eventually making the jump to the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs however would only use him for 2 games before sending him down to the American Hockey League for parts of 3 seasons before eventually bringing him back for another 4 games. It was the following season that Brown would be traded to the New York Rangers, the team with which he would play out the majority of his 681 career NHL games. Over his career Brown recorded 44 goals and 141 assists for a total of 185 career points and also added a whopping 738 penalty minutes to his totals as well.

Following his time with the Rangers Brown would bounce around the league a little splitting time between the Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders and even the Atalnata Flames. Over the 4 seasons he split among those teams his most notable came during the 1971 - 1972 season as a Red Wing where he appeared in 77 games, the most of his career in a single season, and recorded 2 goals and 23 assists for a total of 25 points and 84 minutes of penaltys as well.

Following his career in the National Hockey League Brown would go on to play in the World Hockey Association as a member of the Michigan Stags, Baltimore Blades and Vancouver Blazers. Brown's time in the WHA was short lived however and he retired just 1 year after leaving the NHL.

At this time our thoughts are with the Brown family as well as all of Arnie's friends and loved ones. May he rest in peace.