Garson arena to be renamed to honour George Armstrong

Garson arena to be renamed after Indigenous NHLer One of Greater Sudbury's arenas is being renamed after a local Indigenous man who led the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups

City council will receive a report Aug. 15 seeking approval to rename the arena in Garson in honour of George Armstrong.

The Nickel Centre Minor Hockey Association formally made the request to have the Garson Community Centre and Arena renamed for Armstrong, a Hockey Hall of Fame forward and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Armstrong-led Leafs teams won four Stanley Cup championships in the 1960s. A former resident of Skead and Falconbridge, he was one of the first players of Indigenous decent to score in the NHL.

He died in 2021.

The city’s process for renaming buildings includes public consultation, online and in-person, which found residents supported the change. A staff report on the plan said his jersey has been retired by the Leafs.

“He was considered to be the best captain the Toronto Maple Leafs organization ever had by Conn Smythe,” the report said.

“Mr. Armstrong had strong ties to the Nickel Centre area as a former resident of the communities of Skead and Falconbridge.”