Murray Armstrong

Murray Armstrong
Born (1916-01-01)January 1, 1916
Manor, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died December 8, 2010(2010-12-08) (aged 94)
St. Augustine, Florida, United States
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Playing career 1937–1946
Coaching career
Playing career
1931–1934Regina Pats
1934–1935Regina Victorias
1935–1936New York Rovers
1936–1939Syracuse Stars
1937–1939Toronto Maple Leafs
1939–1942New York Americans
1942–1943Regina Army Caps
1943–1946Detroit Red Wings
1946–1947Buffalo Bisons
1946–1947Dallas Texans
Position(s)Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1948–1956Regina Pats
1956–1977Denver
Head coaching record
Overall460–215–31 (.674)
Tournaments15–7 (.682)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1937 Calder Cup
1958 WIHL regular season champion
1958 NCAA National Champion
1960 WCHA regular season champion
1960 WCHA tournament champion
1960 NCAA National Champion
1961 WCHA regular season champion
1961 WCHA tournament champion
1961 NCAA National Champion
1963 WCHA regular season champion
1963 WCHA tournament champion
1964 WCHA tournament champion
1966 WCHA tournament champion
1968 WCHA regular season champion
1968 WCHA tournament champion
1968 NCAA National Champion
1969 WCHA tournament champion
1969 NCAA National Champion
1971 WCHA tournament champion
1972 WCHA regular season champion
1972 WCHA tournament champion
1973 WCHA regular season champion
1973 WCHA tournament champion
Awards
1947 Herman W. Paterson Cup
1961 WCHA Coach of the Year
1961 Spencer Penrose Award
1968 WCHA Coach of the Year
1974 Colorado Sports Hall of Fame
1977 Lester Patrick Trophy
1981 Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame
1984 Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey Award
1996 Denver Athletic Hall of Fame
2000 Denver Athletic Hall of Fame (Team)
2004 Denver Athletic Hall of Fame (Team)
2006 Denver Athletic Hall of Fame (Team)
2008 Denver Athletic Hall of Fame (Team)
2010 Denver Athletic Hall of Fame (Team)

Murray Alexander Armstrong (January 1, 1916 – December 8, 2010) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ice hockey Head Coach.

Playing career

Armstrong played junior hockey with the Regina Pats before debuting with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 1937–38 season. Two years later he was involved in one of the biggest trades of the decade. He, Busher Jackson, Buzz Boll, and Doc Romnes were sent to the New York Americans in exchange for Sweeney Schriner. He played three years with New York before World War II, during which he went on to play and coach for the Regina Army Caps. Following his army service, Armstrong was signed by Jack Adams in Detroit, but halfway through his third season he was demoted after Adams called up an 18-year-old named Gordon Howe. In 270 career NHL games, Armstrong scored 67 goals and 121 assists for 188 points.[1]

Following his retirement, Armstrong went on to coach the Regina Pats from 1950–55, and the University of Denver from 1956 to 1977, winning five NCAA Championships, in 1958, 1960, 1961, 1968 and 1969. He is considered one of the top NCAA coaches of all time.

He retired to St. Augustine, Florida, where he remained an avid golfer into his 90s.

His son Rob Armstrong is a former CBS News journalist and the current Retired Professional in Residence at Flagler College.[2]

He died in St. Augustine, Florida on December 8, 2010.[3]

Awards and achievements

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1931–32 Regina Pats SJHL 3 1 0 1 0 2 1 1 2 0
1932–33 Regina Pats SJHL 3 0 0 0 7 2 0 0 0 10
1933–34 Regina Pats SJHL 2 4 2 6 0 — — — — —
1934–35 Regina Victorias SSHL 22 9 6 15 15 6 2 1 3 2
1935–36 New York Rovers EAHL 32 15 23 38 18 7 1 2 3 0
1936–37 Syracuse Stars IAHL 43 14 21 35 8 8 4 6 10 6
1937–38 Syracuse Stars IAHL 35 7 31 38 10 5 3 1 4 0
1937–38 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 9 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0
1938–39 Syracuse Stars IAHL 50 27 27 54 10 3 1 1 2 0
1938–39 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 3 0 1 1 0 — — — — —
1939–40 New York Americans NHL 47 16 20 36 12 3 0 0 0 0
1940–41 New York Americans NHL 48 10 14 24 6 — — — — —
1941–42 Brooklyn Americans NHL 45 6 22 28 15 — — — — —
1942–43 Regina Army Caps SSHL 24 29 32 61 36 5 5 12 17 4
1943–44 Detroit Red Wings NHL 28 12 22 34 4 5 0 2 2 0
1944–45 Detroit Red Wings NHL 50 15 24 39 31 14 4 2 6 2
1945–46 Detroit Red Wings NHL 40 8 18 26 4 5 0 2 2 0
1946–47 Buffalo Bisons AHL 19 10 8 18 4 — — — — —
1946–47 Dallas Texans USHL 42 15 31 46 10 6 0 3 3 0
NHL totals 270 67 121 188 72 30 4 6 10 2

[4]

Head coaching record

College

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Denver Pioneers (WIHL) (1956–1958)
1956-57 Denver 12-14-2 6-11-1 5th
1957-58 Denver 24-10-2 12-10-0 t-1st NCAA National Champion
Denver: 36-24-4 18-21-1
Denver Pioneers Independent (1958–1959)
1958-59 Denver 22-5-1
Denver: 22-5-1
Denver Pioneers (WCHA) (1959–1977)
1959-60 Denver 27-4-3 17-4-1 1st NCAA National Champion
1960-61 Denver 30-1-1 17-1-0 1st NCAA National Champion
1961-62 Denver 17-11-2 11-7-0 3rd WCHA third-place game (Loss)
1962-63 Denver 23-9-1 12-6-0 1st NCAA Runner-Up
1963-64 Denver 20-7-4 7-2-1 2nd NCAA Runner-Up
1964-65 Denver 18-8-2 4-7-1 6th
1965-66 Denver 18-11-3 10-7-3 4th NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
1966-67 Denver 22-8-0 11-5-0 2nd WCHA Finals
1967-68 Denver 28-5-1 15-3-0 1st NCAA National Champion
1968-69 Denver 26-6-0 14-6-0 2nd NCAA National Champion
1969-70 Denver 21-10-1 13-8-1 t-2nd WCHA Regional Finals
1970-71 Denver 25-10-1 15-7-0 2nd NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
1971-72 Denver 27-11-0 19-9-0 1st NCAA Consolation Game (Loss)
1972-73 Denver 29-9-1 20-8-0 1st NCAA Runner-Up
1973-74 Denver 22-13-3 15-11-2 3rd WCHA Finals
1974-75 Denver 12-23-1 9-22-1 9th
1975-76 Denver 16-23-0 12-20-0 t-7th WCHA first round
1976-77 Denver 21-17-2 16-14-2 4th WCHA Semifinals
Denver: 402-186-26 237-147-12
Total: 460-215-31

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Internet Hockey Database, Murray Armstrong
  2. ^ Rob Armstrong (2004). Covering Politics: A Handbook for Journalists. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 9780813809182.
  3. ^ Mike Chambers (December 9, 2010). "Legendary Denver hockey coach Murray Armstrong dies". Denver Post. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
  4. ^ "Murray Armstrong". Elite Prospests. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  5. ^ "2013-14 Denver Hockey Media Guide" (PDF). Denver Pioneers. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by WCHA Coach of the Year
1960–61
1967–68 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Spencer Penrose Award
1960–61 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award
1984 		Succeeded by