Derek Armstrong (ice hockey)

Derek Armstrong (born April 23, 1973) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Armstrong used to be head coach of the disbanded Central Hockey League's Denver Cutthroats. He is best known for his time in the National Hockey League, where he played for the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and the St. Louis Blues.

Derek Armstrong
Born (1973-04-23) April 23, 1973
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 197 lb (89 kg; 14 st 1 lb)
Position Center
Shot Right
Played for New York Islanders
Ottawa Senators
New York Rangers
Los Angeles Kings
St. Louis Blues
NHL Draft 128th overall, 1992
New York Islanders
Playing career 1993–2010

Playing career

Derek Armstrong spent the majority of his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings. After being taken by the New York Islanders in the 6th round, 128th overall of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, Armstrong finally played his first full NHL campaign in the 2002–03 season, after having spent eight years in the minor leagues. Most of his non-NHL stints were in the two "AAA" North American development leagues: American Hockey League and International Hockey League.

Due to the NHL lockout, as some NHL players did, Armstrong went to Europe, to play hockey in the Swiss National League A, for SC Rapperswil-Jona, totaling 17 points in only 12 games. Statistically, his best season was the 2006–07 campaign when he had 44 points as seventh place in Kings' points that year.

Armstrong signed with the St. Louis Blues on September 8, 2009, where he finished his final pro season playing for his former LA King coach, Andy Murray.

Coaching career

On April 11, 2012, Armstrong was named head coach of the Denver Cutthroats of the Central Hockey League. Despite his NHL career, he is best known in Denver for being part of the Denver Grizzlies' 1994-95 Turner Cup championship in the team's only season in Denver (though they would later move to Salt Lake City and become the Utah Grizzlies, the team's success is widely credited for attracting the Quebec Nordiques to Denver that following offseason, where they would become the Colorado Avalanche).[1][2][3][4][5] After two seasons with the Denver Cutthroats as head coach, Armstrong was then appointed as team president.

Career statistics
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1989–90 Hawkesbury Hawks CJHL 48 8 10 18 30 — — — — —
1990–91 Hawkesbury Hawks CJHL 54 27 45 72 49 — — — — —
1990–91 Sudbury Wolves OHL 2 0 2 2 0 — — — — —
1991–92 Sudbury Wolves OHL 66 31 54 85 22 9 2 2 4 2
1992–93 Sudbury Wolves OHL 66 44 62 106 56 14 9 10 19 26
1993–94 Salt Lake Golden Eagles IHL 76 23 35 58 61 — — — — —
1993–94 New York Islanders NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1994–95 Denver Grizzlies IHL 59 13 18 31 65 6 0 2 2 0
1995–96 Worcester IceCats AHL 51 11 15 26 33 4 2 1 3 0
1995–96 New York Islanders NHL 19 1 3 4 14 — — — — —
1996–97 Utah Grizzlies IHL 17 4 8 12 10 6 0 4 4 4
1996–97 New York Islanders NHL 50 6 7 13 33 — — — — —
1997–98 Detroit Vipers IHL 10 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
1997–98 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 54 16 30 46 40 15 2 6 8 22
1997–98 Ottawa Senators NHL 9 2 0 2 9 — — — — —
1998–99 New York Rangers NHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1998–99 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 59 29 51 80 73 7 5 4 9 10
1999–2000 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 77 28 54 82 101 23 7 16 23 24
1999–2000 New York Rangers NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2000–01 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 75 32 69 101 73 5 0 6 6 6
2000–01 New York Rangers NHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2001–02 SC Bern NLA 44 17 36 53 62 6 3 5 8 8
2002–03 Manchester Monarchs AHL 2 3 0 3 4 — — — — —
2002–03 Los Angeles Kings NHL 66 12 26 38 30 — — — — —
2003–04 Los Angeles Kings NHL 57 14 21 35 33 — — — — —
2004–05 Genève-Servette HC NLA 9 6 7 13 18 — — — — —
2004–05 SC Rapperswil-Jona NLA 3 1 3 4 4 — — — — —
2005–06 Los Angeles Kings NHL 62 13 28 41 46 — — — — —
2006–07 Los Angeles Kings NHL 67 11 33 44 62 — — — — —
2007–08 Los Angeles Kings NHL 77 8 27 35 63 — — — — —
2008–09 Los Angeles Kings NHL 56 5 4 9 63 — — — — —
2009–10 St. Louis Blues NHL 6 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2009–10 Peoria Rivermen AHL 46 17 19 36 21 — — — — —
NHL totals 477 72 149 221 355 — — — — —
AHL totals 364 136 238 374 345 54 16 33 49 62

Awards and honours
Award Year
AHL Second All-Star Team 1999–2000
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy - Calder Cup Playoffs MVP 1999–2000
AHL First All-Star Team 2000–01
John B. Sollenberger Trophy - AHL Top Scorer 2000–01
Les Cunningham Award - AHL Most Valuable Player 2000–01 [6]
CHL Coach of the Year 2013–14 [7]

References
  1. "Meet the Newest Coach in the CHL - Derek Armstrong". Central Hockey League. April 11, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  2. "CHL Welcomes Denver for the 2012-13 Season". Central Hockey League. April 11, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  3. Dater, Adrian (April 10, 2012). "New Denver pro hockey team introduced; could be called Cutthroats". DenverPost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  4. Dater, Adrian (May 1, 2012). "Denver's CHL expansion team open for business at LoDo office". DenverPost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  5. "Newest Pro Hockey Franchise To Be Named Cutthroats". Central Hockey League. May 17, 2012. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  6. "Derek Armstrong at the Internet Hockey database". 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  7. The Denver Post - Denver Cutthroats’ Derek Armstrong named CHL Coach of the Year
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