REMEMBERING GEORGE ARMSTRONG
After his first year in the Ontario Hockey Association with the junior 'A' Stratford Kroehlers, there was little doubt George Armstrong had a future in the game. His performance in 1947-48, led him to being named the winner of the Red Tilson Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player. Armstrong's 74 points enabled him to win the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the top point-getter.
Impressed with Armstrong's skills when he played juvenile and junior hockey in Copper Cliff, Ontario, Sqiub Walker, the Leafs head scout, signed Armstrong to a 'C' form. This gave the Leafs control of Armstrong's future in the game. And for the '47-'48 schedule, they lent him to Stratford.
To prepare for the 1948 playoffs, the Leafs held a training camp in St Catharines, Ontario, and invited several of their top prospects to participate in the proceedings. George Armstrong was included in this group. Along with Tim Horton, Chuck Blair, and Mike Buchanan, Armstrong received praise for his work in the scrimmages.
He was invited to the Leafs' training camp in the autumn of 1948, and skated on a line with Larry Regan and Danny Lewicki. Armstrong was versatile as he could excel at both centre and wing. Following an exhibition contest in Waterloo, Ontario, against the Pittsburgh Hornets, the Leafs' farm team in the American Hockey League, Armstrong returned to the Kroehlers.
By this time, Conn Smythe wanted Armstrong in the OHA with the Toronto Marlboros. But Dave Pinkney, the Kroehlers boss, objected to Armstrong moving to the Marlboros and going face-to-face against his team. However, he had no problem with his star going the senior Marlboros.
"In all the years I've been in hockey, I've never seen a finer boy than Armstrong," stated Pinkney. "He's not only a valuable piece of hockey material but he's an exceptionally fine boy. Hope this doesn't hurt him. I hate to think of him missing even one minute of hockey."
With Armstrong's signature on a 'C' formed that was stored in a filing cabinet at Maple Leaf Gardens, Pinkney had no standing in the matter. He only had Armstrong in the line-up because Smythe gave his blessing. In the process, the Marlboros, in exchange to getting Armstrong back, signed a release to allow Jim Prenfuss and Doug French to play for Stratford.
As expected, Armstrong joined the junior 'A' Marlboros for most of the 1948-49 season. Also, he saw action in three games with the senior Marlboros. His first game with the senior club was on December 1, 1948, when Toronto was blanked 2-0 by Kitchener.
When the junior Marlboros were ousted from the OHA playoffs by the Barrie Flyers, Armstrong got the call to play for Joe Primeau's senior squad. The Marlboros were eliminated in the Eastern Canada final on April 25 by the Ottawa Senators.
The 1949-50 hockey campaign was special for George Armstrong.
At the end of same, Armstrong made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs, completed a spectacular season with the junior Marlboros, and became a Memorial Cup champion with the senior Marlboros.
Armstrong was summoned by the Maple Leafs to play his first NHL game on December 3, against the New York Rangers at Maple leaf Gardens. He was added to the roster to replace injured Leaf captain, Ted Kennedy. This tilt marked the return of Leaf goalie Turk Broda, who was sidelined by Conn Smythe for being overweight. The reviews of his work were positive, like this one in The Globe and Mail: "And it was a night for George Armstrong, Marlboro junior sensation making his NHL debut and looking good enough to stick in the big time as did his coach, Syl Apps many years ago."
He reflected on his encounter against the Rangers. "They take advantage of mistakes every time in the NHL. While in junior you can get away with three out of four."
Back with the junior Marlboros, Armstrong continued his assault against the opposition. The Oshawa Generals fell victim to Armstrong on December 13. In a 10-1 victory, he scored five goals.
On Christmas Eve, Armstrong was in the Leafs' line-up when they hosted the Boston Bruins. This time around, Toronto was on the losing end of an 8-4 score. Once again, he was teamed with Fleming MacKell and Sid Smith.
In the OHA junior playoffs, the Marlboros were ousted in five games by the Windsor Spitfires in the best-of-seven semi-final series.
It was a remarkable season for Armstrong, as he led all goal scorers with 64 in 45 contests. For the second time, Armstrong was voted the winner of the Red Tilson Memorial Trophy. The sports editor of the Guelph Mercury, Rex McLeod, paid tribute to Armstrong, as he named him on all three spots on his ballot.
Although his obligation to the junior Marlboros was satisfied, Armstrong's season wasn't over. On March 15, 1950, he was on the ice when the senior Marlboros played game five of the OHA final against Kitchener-Waterloo. The Marlboros went on to win the final and proceeded to win the Eastern Canada playoffs, which earned them the right to engage the Calgary Stampeders for the Memorial Cup.
Despite suffering from a nagging back problem, it didn't restrict Armstrong's ability to make a contribution to the Marlboros senior hockey championship. In 17 games, he connected for 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points.
Smythe, who called Armstrong The Big Chief due to his indigenous background, was convinced his bright prospect was ready to make the leap to the pro game. Down the road, Armstrong became known simply as Chief.
On May 16, 1950, George Armstrong put pen to paper and became a professional hockey player. Terms of the deal called for Armstrong to receive $6,000 and the ability to draw $2,000 from that amount. The remaining $4,000 "to be invested for George Armstrong by Mr. Smythe."
In an assessment by a local writer, he wrote the following about Armstrong: "He has size and power, packs a terrific shot, can skate well, and is a brilliant stickhandler. Aggressive, and a strong defensive performer, he seems to possess a sixth hockey sense, much like Ted Kennedy, in that he is drawn to the spot where loose pucks depart from that category."
As the Leafs' training camp came to a close, Armstrong was sent to the Leafs' farm team in Pittsburgh on September 26, 1950. His first American Hockey League contest with the Hornets was on October 11, 1950. They lost 3-1 to the Cleveland Barons, with Johnny Bower in goal for Cleveland, and Tim Horton on defence for Pittsburgh. Both Bower and Horton would become teammates with Armstrong on the Maple Leafs.
Armstrong earned his first AHL point on October 14, when the Hornets tied Cincinnati 1-1 in Pittsburgh. He assisted on the opening goal by Chuck Blair. By January 16, 1951, Armstrong only trailed Rudy Migay for the Hornets scoring lead, as he accumulated 33 points in 40 games. This resulted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette calling him George (The Beast) Armstrong. He finished the regular season with 15 goals and 33 helpers.
Over the summer, Armstrong's next visit to Toronto wasn't as a hockey player.
To the surprise of everyone, he suited up for one game with the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team of the International League. It was at the insistence of a Toronto scout that he agreed to participate. On August 13, 1951, the Maple Leafs hosted their parent club, the St. Louis Browns of the American League. The exhibition contest was held at Maple Leaf Stadium. The starting pitcher for St. Louis was the legendary Satchel Page.
On the bench for the beginning of the game, Armstrong made his appearance in the seventh inning. His only at bat resulted in former New York Yankee, Fred Sanford, striking him out. On defence, one account noted "Big George played in right field ... and handled two chances nervously, both fly outs."
Later on, Armstrong, who played in the Nickel Belt League with the Garson Greyhounds, talked about the circumstances that led to him coming down to face the Browns. "It wasn't a tryout, I merely went to please him [the scout]. I made up my mind beforehand that I was going to stay in hockey."
In his sophomore year with Pittsburgh, Armstrong continued to improve his game. To the delight of his coach, former Toronto Maple Leaf icon, King Clancy, his big weapon up front made a difference on the ice. "He has everything to make a great hockey player," Clancy told Fred Landucci of The Pittsburgh Press. "He can do everything that a great player can do, but George could check a little harder. He is easy to handle and a real team player. It's great to have fellows like him on your club."
Away from the rink, Armstrong shared an apartment with future Leaf teammate, Bob Hassard, and future Leaf coach, Johnny McLellan. In an interview, Armstrong talked about the cooking arrangements. "I'm the steak man, while Hassard cooks most of the rest of the stuff," said Armstrong. "McLellan is our dishwasher."
George Armstrong's last game with the Pittsburgh Hornets was on February 6, 1952, in Syracuse, New York. They fell to the Warriors by a score of 4-2. Fittingly, Armstrong's last point was an assist on a goal by Bob Hassard, with Johnny McLellan also getting an assist. Upon his departure, it was clear the Hornets would miss Armstrong's production. In 50 games, he racked up 30 goals and 29 assists for 59 points.
Up against the February 15, 1952, transfer deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs decided it was time for Armstrong to show what he could bring to the big-show. The transfer deadline applied to movement between leagues, and if the Leafs didn't move on Armstrong, he would be anchored in Pittsburgh for the balance of the season.
On February 9, 1952, George Armstrong played in his third of what turned out to be 1,187 regular season games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. This remains a record for a Leaf player.
In this game, played on a Saturday night at Maple Leaf Gardens, Armstrong scored his first National Hockey League goal. It was the first of his 296 regular season goals, all with the Leafs. Also, it was his first of 713 points - 296 goals/417 assists. The goal, which was the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over Montreal, was described as follows in a newspaper report:
He [Armstrong] grabbed the puck from Bentley [Max] on a faceoff, shoved it through Bouchard's legs and ghosted around Big Butch to retrieve it. Then he skated in on goalkeeper Gerry McNeil and mesmerized that gallant little guy with an ice-hugging shot that zipped between his skates and the post.
The defining moment in Armstrong's career with the Toronto Maple Leafs came when he was named captain on March 23, 1957. He was 26 years old. His play spoke for itself, but in his role as captain, Armstrong had an enormous impact on the well-being and success of the Leafs. For the most part, the public wasn't aware of his efforts behind-the-scenes as the leader of his team.
And on top of this, he captured four Stanley Cups (1962-63-64-67) and played in seven All-Star Games. He became an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.
Shortly after Armstrong's passing, I spoke with his former teammate, Bob Baun. He became a fixture on the Leafs' blueline during the 1956-57 season.
First, we discussed George Armstrong the hockey player.
Since Baun was a right defenceman, and Armstrong played right wing, they depended on each other during the course of a game.
"It allowed me to do all the things I wanted to do on the ice," said Baun. Having the strength of The Chief on the right side was very pertinent to my game. That was why I was able to do the bodychecking. The Chief was a leader by example. If you weren't sure of yourself and what your wingers were doing, you couldn't play defence the way I played it. Also, I could help out the forwards and that's how we played together," explained Baun of the chemistry on the club.
"The Chief was just so good at his game skills. There was very little weakness in his game. He may have been a faster skater, but he was good enough that he was always in position. He thought the game through."
Then, we discussed George Armstrong the captain.
"He wasn't a hard-seller, he was more like a Silent Sam. He was always there if you needed to talk to someone. In the dressing room, Bert Olmstead would be outspoken. The Chief would wait until everything cooled down, and then would talk to you individually."
On the difficult task of being captain under the bombastic and controlling Punch Imlach, Baun commented on how Armstrong's low key approach worked.
"Punch didn't have the personality to deal with the strong personalities on the team. The Chief with his personality, was the only one that could use the mellow-stick on that whole group of players."
In the 1967 Stanley Cup final, for the last time as captain, Armstrong raised the Cup when the Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens in game six. He cemented the win at the 19:13 mark of the third period when he deposited the puck into Montreal's vacant net. It was the last goal scored in the Original Six era.
After attending training camp in 1969, Armstrong had a brief retirement. The Leafs appointed Dave Keon as their new captain. Armstrong changed his mind and returned in November.
His final NHL goal was scored on March 3, 1971, when the Leafs and Vancouver Canuck met at the Gardens. Armstrong's goal was scored into the Canucks empty net. It was his 296 goal and it tied him with former teammate, Frank Mahovlich, for the most regular season goals by a Toronto Maple Leaf.
The official announcement of Armstrong's retirement was made on October 20, 1971. On this occasion, it was for good. Speculation was Harold Ballard influenced Armstrong, then 41years old, to hang up his skates.
Armstrong remained in the game working as a coach with the Toronto Marlboros and a short stint as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scouted for Quebec and Toronto.
There are enough George Armstrong stories to fill a book, and most would be about the legendary pranks he pulled on his teammates.
In his autobiography, The China Wall, Johnny Bower wrote of several Armstrong pranks that involved the Leafs' goalie.
During one practice, Bower was one of the last Leafs off the ice and when he got to his stall in the dressing room, he reached for his teeth and tried to place them in his mouth. Unfortunately, they weren't his teeth. At first, he suspected Eddie Shack, but Shack told him to talk to Armstrong. Upon realizing his roommate was the culprit, Bower asked him where he got the teeth. Armstrong relied. Well, you know, I've got a buddy who works in a funeral home, so guess who I got them from?"
Although the stories mostly come from others, at a reunion of the 1973 Toronto Marlboros in 2017, it was Armstrong telling the story. Here is the tale as told by The Chief.
"All of you guys knew the special ticket office at Maple Leaf Gardens. You'd go up the stairs and the ticket wicket was there. When I was a player, late in my career, we'd come down [to MLG] at 11:00 for a meeting on Saturday, then run up there to get our tickets for the game. There were two people ahead of me on the top of the stairs. So, I'm waiting for my turn. I hear the door close at the bottom of the stairs. I turn around and there's Bobby Baun coming up the stairs. He has a nice white raincoat on and he stands behind me. He doesn't say a word. So, [with Armstrong's back turned] I flicked him in the nuts. I'm waiting for a punch in the shoulder, but nothing happens. I turn around and there's a guy I never saw before. That's a true story!"
Also at the reunion, Armstrong spoke about the Marlboros and his first venture in the coaching ranks.
"I never coached before in my life and I was a bit nervous. We go into training camp and win seven games ... we go into the season and only lose seven games and win the Memorial Cup. The credit goes to all you guys, the player's. All I had to do is kind of hang around and look good. I had to get to know the player's and their skills and use them when they were needed on the ice."
As Armstrong wrapped up his address, his voice quivered as he said, "I will close by saying thanks for a great ride."
And the hockey world thanks George Armstrong for a great ride.
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