Growing up out west, I was not aware of the legend behind George Armstrong when I met him in the media lounge at Memorial Gardens every few weekends prior to North Bay Centennials games in the late 1990s.
At the time, George was scouting for the Toronto Maple Leafs keeping an eye on future NHLers playing in the Ontario Hockey League at the time.
For me, a young videographer working for at MCTV, I was very impressed that George was willing to share his knowledge with others like yours truly.
One story from the Hockey Hall of Famer inducted in 1975 really stood out and has stood the test of time with me.
George was telling me about how he scouted players at the time. His important message was that you cannot just watch a player one time to evaluate the type of player they are - especially when it comes to drafting or recommending the right player for his National Hockey League team.
The Sudbury product from Scottish-Canadian and Ojibway heritage made an analogy about that concept referring to himself and the great Gordie Howe.
"I played like Gordie Howe once a year," Armstrong, the captain of the 1967 champion Toronto Maple Leafs team explained to me.
"Gordie Howe played like Gordie Howe 50 times a year."
It was an interesting way to explain the art of scouting and why he claimed he had to see a player play four to six times before he could make a fair assessment of a player for the Toronto Maple Leafs Management at the time.
So when I heard the news of George Armstrong's passing it was that story that I recalled and now I'm still humbled that he was willing to share that story with me.
Its insight like that likely helped him remain with the Leafs organization as an assistant GM, scout, or consultant from 1987 to 2015.
Rest in peace Chief, the hockey world will miss you.
