01-24-2021, 12:22 PM
George Edward "Chief" Armstrong (July 6, 1930 – January 24, 2021)[1] was a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played 1,188 NHL games between 1950 and 1971, all with Toronto and a franchise record, and was the team's captain for 13 seasons. Armstrong was a member of four Stanley Cup championship teams and played in seven NHL All-Star Games. He scored the final goal of the NHL's "Original Six" era as Toronto won the 1967 Stanley Cup.
Armstrong played both junior and senior hockey in the Toronto Marlboros organization and was a member of the 1950 Allan Cup winning team as senior champions of Canada. He returned to the Marlboros following his playing career and coached the junior team to two Memorial Cup championships. He served as a scout for the Quebec Nordiques, as an assistant general manager of the Maple Leafs and for part of the 1988–89 NHL season as Toronto's head coach. Armstrong was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Maple Leafs honoured his uniform number 10 in 1998, and later officially retired the number, along with ten others, during a pre-game ceremony on October 15, 2016.
Upon turning professional in 1950–51, Armstrong was assigned to Toronto's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Pittsburgh Hornets.[11] In 71 games for Pittsburgh, he recorded 15 goals and 48 points.[9] Despite being hampered by hand and wrist injuries suffered in fights, Armstrong was the AHL's leading goal scorer and stood second in points by mid-season in 1951–52.[12] He was recalled to Toronto during the season and scored his first NHL goal, against goaltender Gerry McNeil of the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first goal ever scored by a player with Native heritage.[13] He finished the season with three goals and three assists in 20 games with Toronto.[9]
Though he missed the start of the 1952–53 season due to a separated shoulder, Armstrong earned a permanent spot on the Maple Leafs' roster.[3] He quietly established himself as an important contributor for Toronto by recording 25 points that season, then scoring 32 points the following season and 28 in 1954–55.[14] A 48-point season in 1955–56 was second on the team to Tod Sloan's 66. Armstrong then led the Maple Leafs in scoring with 44 points in 1956–57 despite missing 14 of his team's games.[15] He was named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in both seasons. They were the first two of seven he ultimately played.[7]
The Maple Leafs named Armstrong the team's captain in 1957–58 as he succeeded Ted Kennedy and Jim Thomson who served as co-captains the season before.[16] He finished fourth in team scoring with 42 points, then played his third All-Star Game during the 1958–59 season.[7] He recorded four assists in the playoffs as the Maple Leafs reached the 1959 Stanley Cup Final, but lost to the Montreal Canadiens.[9][17] With 51 points in 1959–60, Armstrong finished one behind Bob Pulford for the team lead.[18] Toronto again reached the Stanley Cup Final where they were again eliminated by Montreal.[19]
The Maple Leafs finally reached the NHL's peak two seasons later.[3] Armstrong set a career high with 53 points in the 1961–62 regular season, then added 12 points in 12 playoff games for Toronto.[9] He started the play that resulted in the Stanley Cup clinching goal, rushing the puck up ice before passing to Tim Horton, who then passed to goal-scorer Dick Duff that capped off a 2–1 victory in the sixth and deciding game of the series against the Chicago Black Hawks.[20] As Maple Leafs captain, Armstrong was presented the trophy by league president Clarence Campbell.[3] It was the first of three consecutive championships for Toronto as the Maple Leafs of 1962–1964 became the fourth dynasty in NHL history.[21] Individually, Armstrong scored 21, 19 and 20 goals over the three seasons and by virtue of the NHL's All-Star Game format of the time that had the defending champion play the all-stars of the remaining teams, appeared in his fourth, fifth and sixth All-Star Games.[7] Early in the 1963–64 season, on December 1, 1963, Armstrong scored his 200th career NHL goal.[22]
A 37-point season followed in 1964–65, then 51 points the 1965–66 season.[9] By 1966–67, Armstrong led an aging Maple Leafs team that entered the playoffs as an underdog against a dominant Chicago team. The Maple leafs nonetheless eliminated the Black Hawks in six games to set up the 1967 Stanley Cup Final against Montreal. The Canadiens were so confident of victory that a display area for the Stanley Cup had been set up at the Quebec pavilion at Expo 67 prior to the series' start.[23] The Maple Leafs dashed Montreal's hopes by winning the championship in six games. Armstrong scored the final goal of the series in a 3–1 victory in the deciding contest.[24] It was also the last goal scored in the NHL's "Original Six" era as the league was set to double in size to 12 teams for the 1967–68 season.[7]
Armstrong with the Maple Leafs during the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970%E2%80%9371_NHL_season]1970–71 season. He retired at the end of that season.
Armstrong announced his intention to retire as a player following the championship but changed his mind and returned for another season.[25] The Maple Leafs placed him on their protected list for the 1967 Expansion Draft, and he remained with Toronto.[26] He played in his seventh All-Star Game in 1968 and finished the season with 34 points.[7] Retiring following the season before changing his mind became an annual event for Armstrong as he announced his intention to leave the game in five straight years.[27] He remained a consistent scorer for Toronto, recording 27, 28 and 25 points in his following three seasons.[9] He finally ended his playing career after the 1970–71 season to take an office position in the Maple Leafs.,[27] and also he finished his career with two hundred and ninety-six goals, four goals away from obtaining three hundred.[28]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Armstrong_(ice_hockey)
Armstrong played both junior and senior hockey in the Toronto Marlboros organization and was a member of the 1950 Allan Cup winning team as senior champions of Canada. He returned to the Marlboros following his playing career and coached the junior team to two Memorial Cup championships. He served as a scout for the Quebec Nordiques, as an assistant general manager of the Maple Leafs and for part of the 1988–89 NHL season as Toronto's head coach. Armstrong was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Maple Leafs honoured his uniform number 10 in 1998, and later officially retired the number, along with ten others, during a pre-game ceremony on October 15, 2016.
Upon turning professional in 1950–51, Armstrong was assigned to Toronto's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Pittsburgh Hornets.[11] In 71 games for Pittsburgh, he recorded 15 goals and 48 points.[9] Despite being hampered by hand and wrist injuries suffered in fights, Armstrong was the AHL's leading goal scorer and stood second in points by mid-season in 1951–52.[12] He was recalled to Toronto during the season and scored his first NHL goal, against goaltender Gerry McNeil of the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first goal ever scored by a player with Native heritage.[13] He finished the season with three goals and three assists in 20 games with Toronto.[9]
Though he missed the start of the 1952–53 season due to a separated shoulder, Armstrong earned a permanent spot on the Maple Leafs' roster.[3] He quietly established himself as an important contributor for Toronto by recording 25 points that season, then scoring 32 points the following season and 28 in 1954–55.[14] A 48-point season in 1955–56 was second on the team to Tod Sloan's 66. Armstrong then led the Maple Leafs in scoring with 44 points in 1956–57 despite missing 14 of his team's games.[15] He was named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in both seasons. They were the first two of seven he ultimately played.[7]
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Armstrong was named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1957–58 season.
Armstrong was named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1957–58 season.
The Maple Leafs named Armstrong the team's captain in 1957–58 as he succeeded Ted Kennedy and Jim Thomson who served as co-captains the season before.[16] He finished fourth in team scoring with 42 points, then played his third All-Star Game during the 1958–59 season.[7] He recorded four assists in the playoffs as the Maple Leafs reached the 1959 Stanley Cup Final, but lost to the Montreal Canadiens.[9][17] With 51 points in 1959–60, Armstrong finished one behind Bob Pulford for the team lead.[18] Toronto again reached the Stanley Cup Final where they were again eliminated by Montreal.[19]
The Maple Leafs finally reached the NHL's peak two seasons later.[3] Armstrong set a career high with 53 points in the 1961–62 regular season, then added 12 points in 12 playoff games for Toronto.[9] He started the play that resulted in the Stanley Cup clinching goal, rushing the puck up ice before passing to Tim Horton, who then passed to goal-scorer Dick Duff that capped off a 2–1 victory in the sixth and deciding game of the series against the Chicago Black Hawks.[20] As Maple Leafs captain, Armstrong was presented the trophy by league president Clarence Campbell.[3] It was the first of three consecutive championships for Toronto as the Maple Leafs of 1962–1964 became the fourth dynasty in NHL history.[21] Individually, Armstrong scored 21, 19 and 20 goals over the three seasons and by virtue of the NHL's All-Star Game format of the time that had the defending champion play the all-stars of the remaining teams, appeared in his fourth, fifth and sixth All-Star Games.[7] Early in the 1963–64 season, on December 1, 1963, Armstrong scored his 200th career NHL goal.[22]
A 37-point season followed in 1964–65, then 51 points the 1965–66 season.[9] By 1966–67, Armstrong led an aging Maple Leafs team that entered the playoffs as an underdog against a dominant Chicago team. The Maple leafs nonetheless eliminated the Black Hawks in six games to set up the 1967 Stanley Cup Final against Montreal. The Canadiens were so confident of victory that a display area for the Stanley Cup had been set up at the Quebec pavilion at Expo 67 prior to the series' start.[23] The Maple Leafs dashed Montreal's hopes by winning the championship in six games. Armstrong scored the final goal of the series in a 3–1 victory in the deciding contest.[24] It was also the last goal scored in the NHL's "Original Six" era as the league was set to double in size to 12 teams for the 1967–68 season.[7]
Armstrong with the Maple Leafs during the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970%E2%80%9371_NHL_season]1970–71 season. He retired at the end of that season.
Armstrong announced his intention to retire as a player following the championship but changed his mind and returned for another season.[25] The Maple Leafs placed him on their protected list for the 1967 Expansion Draft, and he remained with Toronto.[26] He played in his seventh All-Star Game in 1968 and finished the season with 34 points.[7] Retiring following the season before changing his mind became an annual event for Armstrong as he announced his intention to leave the game in five straight years.[27] He remained a consistent scorer for Toronto, recording 27, 28 and 25 points in his following three seasons.[9] He finally ended his playing career after the 1970–71 season to take an office position in the Maple Leafs.,[27] and also he finished his career with two hundred and ninety-six goals, four goals away from obtaining three hundred.[28]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Armstrong_(ice_hockey)
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