This year marks the centennial season for the Toronto Maple Leafs and there are plenty of celebrations planned leading up to the 2016-17 campaign.
On Aug. 14, the Leafs will deliver a banner that hung in the rafters of the Air Canada Centre, honouring retired Maple Leaf player George Armstrong.
Born in Skead, Armstrong is perhaps one of the most decorated NHL players to come out of Greater Sudbury, with four Stanley Cup championships to his name.
Armstrong is a seven-time NHL Allstar and amassed 713 points in his NHL career that spanned 1,188 games from 1950 – 1971.
Better known as “Chief” to his teammates and opponents, Armstrong holds the distinction of scoring the final goal of the NHL's Original Six era, netting the third goal in a 3-1 game six victory in the 1967 Stanley Cup, the last time the historic franchise hoisted hockey's Holy Grail.
Following his playing career, Armstrong coached the Toronto Marlboros to a pair of Memorial Cup championship victories. He also spent time working as a scout for the Quebec Nordiques, as assistant general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs and as Leafs coach for part of the 1988-89 season.
Armstrong will be making a rare appearance at the Big Nickel on Sunday to celebrate his banner coming home.
During the 2016-17 NHL season, the team will create new banners to hang in the Air Canada Centre and will pay tribute to the players that have had their numbers honoured.
Beginning this week, and lasting throughout the season, the 18 original Air Canada Centre banners will be delivered to the hometowns that produced the greatest players in franchise history.
Armstrong’s banner is the second to be delivered as part of the banner tour.
The public is welcome to join Armstrong, Deputy Mayor Al Sizer and Maple Leafs television broadcaster Paul Hendrick at the Big Nickel at 11:45 a.m. for the celebration.
Armstrong is already a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs Legends Row, and he will be joined by a pair of former Leafs with Sudbury connections this year, as Dave Keon and Tim Horton will both be immortalized in bronze statues.
