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Hail to the Chief

January 28, 2021, 9:20 AM ET [2 Comments]
Paul Stewart
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • RSSArchiveCONTACT
I was saddened this week to hear about the passing of Hockey Hall of Famer George Armstrong at the age of 90. He was one of my favorite people in the game; just a regular guy with a big heart and a great sense of humor. He always had time for you, loved to tell stories, was a good listener and his laugh was infectious. Some of my happiest memories from my playing days were from talking with George. He'd sit, puff on his pipe and impart whatever wisdom or humor was suited to the moment. I can close my eyes and see George, wearing a white undershirt, breaking into a grin and hearing his hearty chuckle.

George was the director of player personnel and a scout for the Quebec Nordiques during my stint with the team. During training camp, in which I had several fights with teammates (that's how roster spot competition was back in those days for role players, because "training camp battles" were, quite literally, battles with not-infrequent bloodshed) George told me, "If nothing else, Cat, you've got guts."

My roommate was Blair Stewart. More accurately, Blair roomed with my luggage. Back in those days, I had a lot of late nights. At our team hotel, the elevator went up from a garage level. Club managers used to hang out in hotel bar or in the lobby. This was a bed check of sorts, as the team would know which players had been out on the town and were out til the wee hours.

I figured out a work-around, or so I thought. I bought a newspaper and donned a bathrobe. If a coach or George saw me, I'd tell them that Blair was snoring and I couldn't sleep, so I'd gone to get a newspaper.

Night one: Armstrong said, "OK, well, try to get some sleep."

Night two: George studied me for a moment. His face broke into a half grin but he didn't say anything.

Night three: George got on the elevator with me, and asked what floor I was on.

As the doors closed, George said, "Blair snoring again?"

"Yup," I said. "Like a fog horn."

George smiled and looked me in the eyes.

"I like your story," he said. "One thing, though: You've been reading the same newspaper for three days!"

He didn't rat me out. He just let me know I wasn't fooling him one bit.

I suspected from Day 1 of camp that I wasn't going to make the opening night NHL roster no matter what I did. I'd be assigned to Cincinnati. My best bet was to earn a callup when the Nordiques needed some toughness and muscle during the season.

George later admitted to me that my hunch was correct. It was pre-planned for me to be among the round of cuts on Day 5. My eventual NHL callup came on Thanksgiving 1979 in Boston.

Another time, I chatted with George and, after taking a puff on his pipe, he told me I'd have fit in real well with the players of his generation both on and off the ice. He meant it as a compliment, and I appreciated it both then and today.

The punch line of my favorite George story is not printable on a family-friendly website. I'll only say that, every year on American Thankgiving, I say grace and am quietly grateful the dinner table centerpiece is turkey.

George was the uncle of the McCourt brothers; longtime player Dale and longtime NHL linesman Dan. Good people and a good family.

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A 2018 inductee into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.

Visit Paul's official websites, YaWannaGo.com and Officiating by Stewart.
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