Bob Armstrong (ice hockey, born 1961)
| Bob Armstrong | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
October 2, 1961 Ithaca, New York, USA | ||
| Died |
January 28, 2012 (aged 50) Williamsville, New York, USA | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 188 lb (85 kg; 13 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Defenseman | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Clarkson | ||
| Playing career | 1980–1984 | ||
Robert A. Armstrong was an American retired ice hockey defenseman who was an All-American for Clarkson.[1]
Career
Armstrong graduated from Ithaca High School in 1979 and then spent a year at Northwood Prep School. While there he worked as a driver at the 1980 Winter Olympics and served as an usher during the semifinal matchup between the United States and the Soviet Union, perhaps the most famous ice hockey game in history.[2]
He began attending Clarkson University in the fall of 1980 and joined the team as it was on the ascent. Clarkson made appearances in the NCAA Tournament in each of Armstrong's first two seasons and, though he was a bit player as a freshman, Armstrong had a much more integral role in 1982. After several of the top players graduated that year, Clarkson declined in Armstrong's junior season. He was named team captain for his senior year and the team rebounded. Armstrong led the defense in scoring and Clarkson finished 3rd in the ECAC Tournament, their best finish in over a decade.[3] The team made its third national tournament with Armstrong and pushed a very strong Minnesota–Duluth to the brink, nearly overcoming a 4-goal deficit with a 6–3 win in the quarterfinals. Armstrong had scored with 61 seconds left but the team was unable to tie the series before time ran out.[4]
Armstrong's playing career ended upon his graduation. While working for Stearns & Wheeler as an engineer, Armstrong began coaching high school hockey and baseball. He was involved with several youth teams in the Buffalo area.
Armstrong died unexpectedly at the age of 50 at the Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital.
Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1980–81 | Clarkson | ECAC Hockey | 36 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Clarkson | ECAC Hockey | 35 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Clarkson | ECAC Hockey | 31 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Clarkson | ECAC Hockey | 34 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 136 | 23 | 51 | 74 | 178 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| All-ECAC Hockey First Team | 1983–84 | [5] |
| AHCA East First-Team All-American | 1983–84 | [1] |
References
- ^ a b "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
- ^ "Robert A. Armstrong, professional engineer; Oct. 2, 1961 -- Jan. 28, 2012". The Buffalo News. January 31, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ "Clarkson Men's Hockey 2017-18 Media Guide". Clarkson Golden Knights. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
- ^ "Clarkson returning to DECC after 25 years to face UMD". Duluth New Tribune. October 30, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ "ECAC All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database