Armstrong was always humble, son says
Peterborough’s Brian Armstrong overwhelmed with support after the death of his dad, the former Toronto Maple Leafs captain
“Watching the games was both enjoyable and sometimes challenging.” BRIAN ARMSTRONG GEORGE’S SON
Dave Keon, Borje Salming and Wendel Clark are among Toronto Maple Leafs greats to call Brian Armstrong’s Peterborough home since Sunday.
The outpouring of love for his father George Armstrong has been overwhelming.
The legendary Leafs captain died Sunday at 90 of a heart attack.
It’s the sort of attention Brian says his father wouldn’t be comfortable with. A kind, approachable man with a great sense of humour, he was also very humble.
“He’d be going, “I don’t know what all the fuss is about,’” said Brian Armstrong, 67, who has lived in Peterborough since 1992 working in radio sales at The Wolf and Extra 90.5 before becoming a long haul trucker.
Hailed as a trailblazer as one of hockey’s first Indigenous stars — his mother Alice was Ojibway — George Armstrong played 22 years in the Leafs organization, coached their junior affiliate Toronto Marlboros to two Memorial Cup titles, and was a coach, executive and scout for 40 years for the Leafs and Quebec Nordiques.
He won four Stanley Cups with the Leafs including as captain of their last championship team in 1967. His empty-net goal to clinch the deciding game against the Montreal Canadiens was the last goal scored in the NHL’s Original Six era. Armstrong was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and his statue stands outside Scotiabank Arena.
Brian was 13 in 1967 but he missed his father’s goal because he and his grandfather Fred Armstrong were scurrying down stairs to get to ice level for the anticipated celebration.
“We were coming up the tunnel between the benches when we heard the fans go absolutely crazy,” he said. “We came running up and asked what happened and someone said, ‘George Armstrong just scored into the empty net. We’ve won the Cup.’”
His grandfather pushed Brian onto the ice during post-game celebrations and George handed Brian the Cup which he hoisted overhead.
“That was a pretty incredible night,” Brian said.
To Brian and younger siblings Betty Ann, Fred and Lorne, he was Dad but they realized his celebrity status.
“Watching the games was both enjoyable and sometimes challenging,” Brian said.
“You know how harsh the fans can sometimes be. You’d have to sit there sometimes and listen to somebody call your dad a bum. Fans are fans. They don’t know who is sitting next to them. I wouldn’t trade it for anything especially because of the man he was. He didn’t bring work home. He was a terrific father.”
Growing up, Brian said his father never talked about facing racism in hockey. Brian knew the Armstrong family, who were Irish, refused to go to Fred’s wedding when he married Alice.
“As Dad became famous they wanted to become more friendly with the family but Dad had a long memory for stuff like that,” said Brian.
Brian doesn’t recall his father’s Indigenous heritage being a big focus in his playing days other than his nickname.
“Back in the day people weren’t trying to be as politically correct as they are today. From what I heard he had pretty thick skin but I don’t know what kind of stuff was said to him. Of course, he was called ‘The Chief’ which these days I don’t know if somebody would get that nickname.”
When Armstrong’s friend and teammate Johnny Bower died, his body laid in state at Scotiabank Arena for fans to pay respects. In this time of a pandemic there will be nothing like that for Armstrong but Brian said his father also didn’t want it.
“There’s the old saying, ‘Don’t be late for your funeral.’ Well, if they’d set something like that up, Dad wouldn’t have attended his own funeral,” said Brian, with a laugh.