Former coach Jim Armstrong passes away

Former coach Jim Armstrong passes away

By Angelique Fiske, QBSN Web-Editor

The Quinnipiac community mourns the loss of former men’s ice hockey head coach Jim Armstrong who passed away on Jan. 21 at the age of 68.  Armstrong was at the helm of the Bobcats for 14 years, spanning the entirety of the 80s until 1994.  A Peterborough, Ontario native, Armstrong had been living in Hamden for over 40 years. 

“The entire Quinnipiac University community wishes Coach Armstrong’s family our deepest sympathies.   For 14 years, Coach Armstrong’s coaching and leadership put Quinnipiac in an excellent position to transition our men’s hockey program to the NCAA Division I level and ECAC Hockey,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation Jack McDonald.  “We are all very grateful for everything that Coach Armstrong has done for our student-athletes and Quinnipiac University.”

Under Armstrong, the Bobcats held a record of 140-183-8.  In the process of triple-figured wins, Armstrong’s teams broke the program’s record of goals-scored in a season in four different seasons.  The first team broke the record with 129 goals in 1981-82, but by the 1986-87 season, the record was shattered at 186 goals on the season that remained intact until the 1999-2000 season.  The same year, the Bobcats won 22 games, also breaking a program record.

“Jim was a great coach that I was privileged to follow here at Quinnipiac,” current head coach Rand Pecknold said.  “His work helped make Quinnipiac hockey what it is today.  He will be greatly missed.”

 Before his coaching days in Hamden, Armstrong spent 1963-74 playing for the Seattle Totems and the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in the Western Hockey League, the Toledo Blades and Saginaw Gears in the International Hockey League, and the New Haven Blades, Long Island Ducks and Rhode Island Eagles in the Eastern Hockey League. 

Aside from his achievements on the ice, Armstrong is remembered for his kind disposition that extended beyond the rink.

“All of us who played for him had such admiration for his warmth, kindness and concern for us as people,” said Michael Barrett, a former Bobcat captain (1981-85).  “His love and bond for his family was just so strong, and he treated all of us, his former players, the same way.  Today, we lost a great coach, colleague, father figure, friend, husband, father and grandfather.”