Friday

Bob Armstrong

Bob Armstrong was a solid stay-at-home defenseman who graduated to the Bruins after one season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears. Nicknamed "Satch," Armstrong played 542 NHL games, scoring 13 goals and 99 points.

Bill Quackenbush tutored him as a rookie though he partnered with Leo Boivin for most of this career. Both Armstrong and Boivin were noted hard hitters, making for an intimidating Boston back line. But Armstrong was clean, not picking up a lot of unnecessary penalties, unless of course he somehow lost his gloves and stick. Armstrong was not much of an offensive threat. He never rushed the puck and his odd goal would usually come from a blast at the point.

After 9 solid seasons in a Bruin uniform, Bob was released to the Montreal organization to coach one of their minor league teams in Hull-Ottawa of the Eastern Professional Hockey League. It was in Hull-Ottawa that Bob had a run-in with Don Cherry that merits mention in Don's book, Grapes. What Don failed to mention is that Don broke his stick over Bob's head, giving Bob a concussion.

While Bob was playing for the Bruins, he continued his schooling, eventually earning a degree from the University of Western Ontario. After being traded from the Montreal organization to Toronto, a teaching opportunity opened up at Lakefield College in Peterborough, Ontario and Bob began his second career. Along with teaching history and economics, Bob coached the hockey team.

Bob's son, Ian, played at the school, and later with the Peterborough Petes of the OHA, and in 1983 Ian was drafted by the Bruins, 142nd overall.

Bob passed away in the summer of 1995.

4 comments:

Shaftesbury 11:57 PM  

My Father played Junior B Hockey with Bobby Armstrong in the late 1940's in Toronto .... and happily reconnected with him when he retired to Peterborough in the 1980's ....

strongwallbill 4:45 AM  

Thanks for this article on my cousin Bob. And thanks as well for the Cherry clarification. Bob told me about what really happened in Hull and knowing Cherry, it doesn't surprise me. Bob was a superb athlete, who, with in one year of taking-up golf, became a scratch player and still holds records at the Sarnia golf club. We lost him far too early.

Warm Regards,

W.L. Armstrong

Anonymous,  5:22 PM  

I was a student at Lakefield when Mr. Armstrong arrived as a master. He was a fair man and kind. We had a dominant hockey team and I'll never forget when Bob sttod in defence and invited the entire team to rush him. No one could score. "Army" Armstrong was faster in reverse and sideways than anyone was in forward. Great guy. He made his mark at the school not through hockey but through decency and kindness.

Anonymous,  6:17 PM  

Bob was one of my first heroes. Can remember him, fernie flaman, leo boivin and bill quackenbush like it was yesterday.

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