Murray Armstrong Passes Away

[UMDBulldogHockeyIsKing]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

tUMD owes a tip of the cap to Murray. RIP.

[huskyfan]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

RIP coach. the memories being posted are priceless.

[Puck Swami]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

tUMD owes a tip of the cap to Murray. RIP.

I think Murray helped recruit the first UMD team, as I recall.

[Chris]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

I believe Murray only came back to DU twice after his retirement -- in '89, for the 40th anniversary of DU hockey and for one of the HOF induction ceremonies. I was lucky enough to have Jimbo introduce me to him back in '89, though I was working a t-shirt stand at the event and didn't have much time to talk with him it was still a special moment.

[Puck Swami]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

Great job on the DU press release on this, quoting all living head coaches who coached for DU - Gwozdecky, Seratorre, Backstrom and Johnston on Murray's legacy.

http://www.denverpioneers.com/ViewAr...CLID=205053212

[Biddco]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

tUMD owes a tip of the cap to Murray. RIP.

We do?

I think Murray helped recruit the first UMD team, as I recall.

What did he do?

[Old Pio]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

We do?

What did he do?

On one of his famous recruiting tours of western Canada, he also recruited some players for tUMD.

[vizoroo]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

In case you didn't read Mike Chambers column, here are a few ofthe Maurrayisms. Follow this advice and become a better,more successful person.

"Well, there’s no future in being poor and looking poor, now is there?”

“There’s only one thing worse than not having connections, and that’s not using the connections you have.”

“I was always going to be the best at what I did. That’s why I don’t drink.

“Now is the time to cut your bad habits in half. If you normally drink six beers, cut it to three. If you smoke a pack of cigarettes, cut it in half. If you’re (with your girlfriend), just keep it to yourself. Nobody likes a bragger.”

“And boys … If you will give it everything you’ve got, win or lose, you’ll have no regrets. And when you’re shaving tomorrow morning and you look in the mirror, you’ll like the person you see.”

This year the Syracuse Crunch celebrated their 75th Anniversary. Murray was the last living member of the team that won Syracuse's only championship. An era has ended.

[du78]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

I think Murray helped recruit the first UMD team, as I recall.

He most certainly did. He was interested in growing the sport and had no problem helping teams get their feet on the ground like UMD.

BTW, an interesting piece of trivia about Murray is what player took his spot on the Detroit Red Wings that ended his NHL career? None other then one Gordie Howe. Mark and Marty Howe were going to come to DU, but the WHA came calling and they turned professional to play with their dad for the Houston Aeros.

Anothe thing to note is that Murray's teams did win 5 NCAA titles but they also got 2nd an additional 4 times. Overall his teams played in 9 NCAA final games.

[Old Pio]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

He most certainly did. He was interested in growing the sport and had no problem helping teams get their feet on the ground like UMD.

BTW, an interesting piece of trivia about Murray is what player took his spot on the Detroit Red Wings that ended his NHL career? None other then one Gordie Howe. Mark and Marty Howe were going to come to DU, but the WHA came calling and they turned professional to play with their dad for the Houston Aeros.

Anothe thing to note is that Murray's teams did win 5 NCAA titles but they also got 2nd an additional 4 times. Overall his teams played in 9 NCAA final games.

And we got hosed badly, as I've posted before, in a semi-final game against Clarkson in '67, when a wicked Cliff Koroll backhander that would have given us the lead midway through the 3rd was missed, even though the ref blew his whistle and the Clarkson kid in the box came out. That would have put us in the NC game against MSU, whom we'd beaten in the regular season. The DU photographer was in Williams Arena on a catwalk underneath the scoreboard and caught the goal. Sadly he wasn't using a Polaroid.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

And we got hosed badly, as I've posted before, in a semi-final game against Clarkson in '67, when a wicked Cliff Koroll backhander that would have given us the lead midway through the 3rd was missed, even though the ref blew his whistle and the Clarkson kid in the box came out. That would have put us in the NC game against MSU, whom we'd beaten in the regular season. The DU photographer was in Williams Arena on a catwalk underneath the scoreboard and caught the goal. Sadly he wasn't using a Polaroid.

I think that was 1966, or at least that was when Clarkson played MSU. I quite vividly remember Clarkson beating RPI 16-1 (it was painful, believe me) at the end of the season and then get killed by MSU whom they beat during the season. Of course, even then, it was the EZAC.

[dggoddard]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

This excellent article that appears today in the St. Augustine Record was written in 2008. Some people never change.

http://staugustine.com/news/local-ne...s-make-excuses

[du78]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

Murray's teams made the NCAA's 11 of the 21 years that he coached at DU and that was when only 4 teams were selected to the tourney. There were no NCAA regional tourneys back then.

One of my lasting memories of Murray occurred one day before practice in the old DU barn. It was in Murray's last year. I happened to be down by the locker room a few hours before practice and in walk Keith Magnuson and Bobby Orr. The Black Hawks were in town for a few days and Keith came looking for Murray. Bobby had nothing else to do and tagged along with Keith. Murray had not arrived at the rink yet so I spent 15 or so minutes talking with these two legends. I probably stammered my way through the conversation but they were gracious and cordial. Murray showed up and Keith and he started talking and I was "stuck" talking to Bobby for the next 45 minutes. I guess I finally relaxed and had a nice conversation with Bobby about hockey, beer, etc. He told me that he thought he drank the Coors brewery dry the previous night. One of the days I will never forget and you could see how the Chief loved to see a former player succeed in life like it was one of his kids.

[Pablo]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

Murray's teams made the NCAA's 11 of the 21 years that he coached at DU and that was when only 4 teams were selected to the tourney. There were no NCAA regional tourneys back then.

One of my lasting memories of Murray occurred one day before practice in the old DU barn. It was in Murray's last year. I happened to be down by the locker room a few hours before practice and in walk Keith Magnuson and Bobby Orr. The Black Hawks were in town for a few days and Keith came looking for Murray. Bobby had nothing else to do and tagged along with Keith. Murray had not arrived at the rink yet so I spent 15 or so minutes talking with these two legends. I probably stammered my way through the conversation but they were gracious and cordial. Murray showed up and Keith and he started talking and I was "stuck" talking to Bobby for the next 45 minutes. I guess I finally relaxed and had a nice conversation with Bobby about hockey, beer, etc. He told me that he thought he drank the Coors brewery dry the previous night. One of the days I will never forget and you could see how the Chief loved to see a former player succeed in life like it was one of his kids.

Cool story! I remember reading some classic stories about Murray in conjunction with the DU hockey 60th Anniversary celebrations. One of my favorites was something about him having one of his players bring back a suitcase full of hats across the Canadian border, and running into some funny problems because of it. If anyone has access to that story (which I think was written by the player involved), it would be nice to see it posted on this thread.

DU was so fortunate to have legendary coaches like Murray Armstrong and Willy Schaefler. I would like to see a nice ceremony honoring Murray at the next DU home game. And the one statue of Murray is not enough of a tribute. The "mural" on the wall of the south concourse is a nice addition, but more needs to be done to honor guys like Armstrong, Magnuson, Carle, etc. inside Magness. Broken record, I know. But it's about time.

[Puck Swami]

Re: Murray Armstrong Passes Away

I would like to see a nice ceremony honoring Murray at the next DU home game.

It's in the works. They have some time to work on it as well.