Armstrong making the most of opportunity with Thunderbirds
Mar 28, 2023
Austin Owens I Halifax Thunderbirds
Stepping onto the floor at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Colton Armstrong is a long way from Healthy Planet Arena in Peterborough, Ontario. That’s where the 27-year-old honed his craft during his junior days, spent primarily with the Peterborough Jr. C Lakers.
Armstrong’s journey to the National Lacrosse League was anything but the norm. To start his junior career, he took a summer off before playing intermediate lacrosse in his first two summers. After that, he took a crack at playing Junior C in Peterborough. Armstrong wanted to have fun and play alongside his friends.
In a pair of seasons spent in Junior C, Armstrong played on the offensive side of the ball, putting up 85 points in 32 games over that span. In 2015, he helped the team make a run to the Meredith Cup – Ontario’s Junior C Championship.
“I just knew from my mindset and myself that I wanted to be happy playing lacrosse, and playing Junior C, that was probably the happiest I ever was up to that point,” Armstrong said. “Winning at Peterborough Memorial Centre on the turf was amazing because the senior Lakers and Junior A’s play there. It was just a surreal moment for my family and me.”
After his junior career came to a close, Armstrong went on working while playing on the weekends with the Arena Lacrosse League’s Peterborough Timbermen. He was having a strong season on the floor while balancing his life off it. However, one day after work, he received a call that would change his life.
“My phone rings and I looked down at my phone, and the caller ID said Curt Styres. And I just said to myself, ‘There’s no way this is true,’” Armstrong said. “It was a Tuesday night that he called me on, and he said, ‘I’d like to sign you to a practice roster spot, and I’d like you to come to practice tomorrow.’ I was just in shock. I called my parents and girlfriend right away, and then I had to figure out work, who was on the team, and if I could carpool with anyone to practice.
“I also didn’t have a printer, so I was running around trying to figure out how to sign this contract. I wish I had recorded myself, but I didn’t know that my dream would be coming true.”
Armstrong signed with the Rochester Knighthawks mid-season and immediately got a chance to prove himself to Styres and the coaching staff.
He made it to his first practice, and after getting to know his teammates, he started to try and make his mark on the roster.
Armstrong was a scratch in his first game, as the team faced Georgia at home. But the next game offered a chance for him to play in front of friends and family.
Rochester was making the trip to Toronto, and when Armstrong got to the rink that morning, he found out he was going to be in the lineup.
“When we had the morning meeting and they announced the lineup, I heard 44 in there, and my heart was coming out of my chest…I didn’t know what to do,” Armstrong said. “I texted my girlfriend and parents. They were coming to the game no matter what, but I got to tell them that I’d be playing in front of them that night. When we got to the rink, I just walked out to the floor, looked around, and took a deep breath. I knew that was the opportunity I’d waited my whole career for, and I couldn’t pass it up.”
It didn’t take long for Armstrong to make an impact. He found himself in on a transition opportunity with veteran Brad Gillies, who fed Armstrong the ball for his first NLL goal.
“I don’t think you could write a better script than that,” Armstrong said of the moment. “It was funny because a bunch of people started cheering. Obviously, a lot of our teammates were from the area, but there were like 40 of my friends and family there, and you could hear them all screaming my name. It was like I was in the home arena. I remember that moment to this day, and I’ll remember it for my whole life.”
Armstrong made it into seven games down the stretch for the Knighthawks, and he was able to continue that momentum the next season when the organization made the move out East to Halifax.
In his second year with the organization, Armstrong appeared in 11 games, putting up a goal and seven points along with 43 loose balls and six caused turnovers. However, Armstrong’s momentum came to a screeching halt, as the COVID-19 pandemic brought lacrosse to a standstill for nearly two years.
However, Armstrong’s solid play up to that reaffirmed to him that he belonged in the pro ranks. So he bought workout equipment and committed to staying in shape despite the uncertainty of when the next season would even take place.
It paid dividends in 2021-22. In his first full NLL campaign, Armstrong was one of the breakout stars on the defensive side of the ball for the Thunderbirds, becoming one of the team’s top transition threats while improving his play in his own half.
“I think I’ve always wanted to push the ball up and score, but I think I learned the hard way (last season) that I can’t just run up and score. I’ve got to play defensively first,” Armstrong said of the lessons he learned last year. “I think my transition game is there, but I’m just trying as hard as possible to be the best player I can be. So I think I learned when to take off, and I got my lacrosse IQ better.”
Armstrong remains one of the fittest players on the Thunderbirds, and coming into this year, he used different means to get in shape for this season. Mark Farthing, the head coach at Trent University, came calling. He asked Armstrong to join his team for the fall season. The Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) allows NLL players to simultaneously get their education while being able to play university field lacrosse. Armstrong joined the Excelsior as a defensive midfielder, bringing some pro-level experience to the collegiate side.
“It was a big risk for me. I hadn’t played field lacrosse since I was young. Also, if I got injured, that would derail my NLL season,” Armstrong said. “But I knew that this could be a massive opportunity to sharpen my stick skills and my endurance. From the first practice, we knew we had something special. …So we just kind of rolled through teams.”
Armstrong and Trent went on a nearly spotless season, which led the program to its first Baggataway Cup, where they were able to capture on home turf in Peterborough.
Now in his fourth year with the organization, Armstrong has become an individual the coaching staff leans on defensively. He sees regular time as a matchup defender on the back end, while also spending time on the team’s penalty kill unit. He has two goals and five points through 10 games so far this season, with both of his tallies coming early in the year in Halifax’s home game against Albany.
From Peterborough to Halifax, Armstrong’s family has been a constant. Wherever the Thunderbirds go, Army’s Army is never far behind. During the team’s opening pair of games last season, his family even made the over-16-hour trek from Ontario to Halifax.
“My parents, my sister, and my brother have always supported me, and they just want to see me live my dream,” Armstrong said. “Just to see them running around Halifax with my name on the back of their shirts is really funny. It’s been a crazy year for me. My grandpa passed away at the beginning of the year. I know that he’s just watching down on me. My girlfriend’s dad has also been in the hospital. Every game, he’s sitting in the hospital with his Thunderbirds stuff on, watching and cheering me on.
“...No matter where (my family) are, they’re always supporting me. It’s so crazy how much a family can love you and how much you can support each other.”
When Armstrong first joined the organization, he said that he leaned on Graeme Hossack, among other players. Hossack, who was selected second overall back in 2015, also spent time playing Junior C before blossoming into one of the most dominant defenders in the league.
He told Armstrong that the past was behind him and to live in the moment and be the best that he could be. The transition ace has become a diamond in the rough for the Thunderbirds, as well as a reminder that with hard work and determination, any player can make it to the highest flights of lacrosse.
“Every ‘O’ Canada,’ I just sit back and look at the flag. I take a quick look around the arena and tell myself, ‘Everyone in the crowd would love to be in my spot. A lot of people on television would love to be in my spot. So take this opportunity to prove why you deserve this spot,’” Armstrong said. “Every game, I just kind of take a second and remember that this is not just given, it is earned.
“When I’m in Halifax working with the kids, and one of them thinks they can’t make it to the NLL, I like to pull them aside and let them know that I was in the same boat. I was always down on myself. But when an opportunity comes, you’ve just got to take it. If your dream is to play in the NLL, you can make it happen if you work your butt off.”