Leaf great Armstrong dead at 90

George Armstrong, who played more games than any other Maple Leaf and was captain of their last four Stanley Cup teams, died Sunday morning at age 90 the team said in a statement.

“George is the part of the very fabric of the Leafs organization and will be deeply missed,” club president Brendan Shanahan said. “A proud yet humble man, he loved being a Leaf, but never sought the spotlight.”

Indeed, in his later years Armstrong kept his distance from being recognized as others were in public ceremonies, though he often got together with former teammates on social occasions. As a long-time Leafs and Quebec Nordiques scout he was a constant presence around various arenas. He was also coach and parttime general manager of the Leafs in the 1980s at the behest of owner Harold Ballard.

Armstrong was honoured with a statue on Legends Row outside of the then-air Canada Centre (now named the Scotiabank Arena).

After the last Toronto championship in 1967, several Leafs were either claimed in the expansion draft, retired or traded, but Armstrong stayed on to complete 1,187 games remaining the franchise leader in many longevity categories.

Armstrong was known almost universally by his nickname “Chief,” a nod to his Indigenous heritage. He was born to a Scottish-canadian father and part-ojibway mother outside Sudbury, Ont., his birthplace in 1930 listed as Skead.

Dave Keon, who played on those Toronto teams and followed Armstrong as captain, said Sunday: “He will be missed. A great teammate, a great captain, a great teacher. He was a funny guy to be around, the life of the party. He was the last one of us to carry the Cup off the ice and the last to score a goal in a Cup final.”