“I have hockey in my blood,” says Kalley Armstrong.  

For Kalley, that’s no idle expression. Her hockey DNA is real. Kalley’s grandfather was the late George Armstrong, the legendary NHL Hall of Famer and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs when they last won the Stanley Cup in 1967. George’s hockey skills were certainly inherited by Kalley. After growing up in Vaughan, Ont., she became an elite player with the Harvard University Crimson women’s team and rose to the role of captain in her final year.

But Kalley acquired much more than hockey talents from her grandfather. He also taught her, in a quiet and gentle way, about the Indigenous heritage they shared. George grew up in Falconbridge, Ont. His father, a miner, was of Scottish heritage and his mother was Indigenous. George became one of the NHL’s first Indigenous players.  

“When I was a kid, I knew he was an accomplished hockey player, but I saw him as our wonderful grandpa,” says Kalley.

“He was funny and super humble. I didn’t have a complete understanding of how much of an impact he had as an Indigenous man.”

It was later, as she progressed in her hockey career and began to meet other Indigenous people, that Kalley gradually came to recognize the profound respect George had as a role model.

“I think seeing an Indigenous person compete in the NHL successfully, meant a lot. People still remember meeting my grandfather. So his impact and legacy continue.”

Today, while working toward her PhD in anthropology at Western, Kalley is using her hockey talent  to honour that legacy and support Indigenous girls.

She founded Armstrong Hockey in 2019 with the help of Kalley’s former Toronto Aeros teammate Kelly Babstock, who is from the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island. Based in London, Ont., the program is open to girls of all backgrounds, with a special emphasis on Indigenous players.

“We’ve been running hockey camps for Indigenous players in the summers. It's a great way for Indigenous youth to come together. We build a community.”

At the camps, they introduce youth to Elders, and often smudge and practice drumming. “And, of course, we’re on the ice four hours a day,” remarks Kalley, “The goal is to create a great experience for the girls.”

Kalley is quick to point out that she benefits, too.  

“I end up learning so much more than I think I end up teaching them. It's a way for me to connect with the culture. I've been lucky to become close with so many great kids and families. I learn more about the language from them. I learn more about the culture and, hopefully, I pass down a few hockey lessons.”

And how does Kalley hope to make an impact?

“Making an impact is contagious. I think about the way coaches, teammates, my grandpa and family have changed my life and helped me out and maybe I can pass it down to these girls and give them that same feeling.”