'One of our own': Greater Sudbury renames Garson arena in honour of George Armstrong

In a tribute to a local hockey legend, the Garson Community Centre and Arena has been renamed the George Armstrong Community Centre and Arena.

The mayor of Greater Sudbury, along with Armstrong's family and former Maple Leafs captains, gathered at the arena for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon.

Armstrong was born in Skead and resided in Falconbridge. The Hall of Famer played 21 seasons in the NHL and helped win four Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs, including the last one in 1967. He was one of the first Indigenous players in the NHL.

The renamed arena now features a new sign outside the building on Church Street. Inside, a trophy case houses photos and memorabilia of George Armstrong, and a mural of the Hall of Famer has also been added.

"We'll always be able to come here and see him," said his daughter, Betty Ann Armstrong. "I didn't realize how much people loved him."

She added that he would be humbled by the commemoration but "didn't want to be in the limelight."

Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre says the city is honoured to recognize Armstrong's legacy to ensure future generations remember him and celebrate "one of our own."

"George Armstrong was a hockey legend, always proud of his roots here in the great City of Greater Sudbury, Falconbridge and Skead... Four Stanley Cups… We have somebody of that stature who is accomplished. We have to be proud of that. And we are," Lefebvre said.

Darryl Sittler, a former captain of the Maple Leafs who has also been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, described Armstrong's legacy similarly.

"He's won four Stanley Cups. He's the last captain to hold the Stanley Cup as a Maple Leaf… he's the guy, he did it so many times and he's been respected for that," said Sittler.

Sittler, along with Wendel Clark and Rick Vaive, will be playing in the annual Celebrity Hockey Classic for Easter Seals on Friday at Countryside Arena. They will then attend the OHL game between the Sudbury Wolves and the Sarnia Sting that evening in honour of Armstrong.

"He had a great sense of humour. He worked hard at his profession, didn't get caught up, didn't have a big ego, which is important…. He was a humble guy, a good family guy and a good teammate. So he had all the qualities and that's obviously a big role model for people here in the community," Sittler said.

The official renaming comes after the Nickel Centre Minor Hockey Association submitted a formal request to rename the facility in January 2023. The application was then reviewed by the city council.

Brian George Armstrong, the son of the hockey legend, called the newly renamed building "amazing."