Biography
George Armstrong was born in Bowlands Bay, Ontario in 1930 and in 1960 became a resident of Leaside, where he and his wife Betty raised their four children. Armstrong played 21 seasons in the NHL (1949-1971), all with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and proudly wore the C for 13 of those seasons, serving as the team’s longest running captain. He led the Leafs to four Stanley Cup victories in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967 and was best known for his remarkable leadership. Conn Smythe called him “the best captain, as a captain, the Leafs have ever had”. Armstrong was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975. A proud Leaside resident for over 55 years, Armstrong always enjoyed riding his bike through the streets of Leaside with his family and coached local sports teams, including girl’s baseball at Trace Manes Park. He also coached the first Canadian Special Olympics floor hockey team, based out of Beverley Street Public School in Toronto.