Bill White (ice hockey)

William Earl "Bill" White ( born August 26, 1939 in Toronto, Ontario ) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player (defender) and coach, who played from 1967 to 1976 for the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.

Career

During his youth, he played for the Toronto Marlboros in the OHA. He was a solid defender in his younger years, but for a place in a time of only six NHL teams, it was not enough. The rights to him at the time were at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After two seasons, he had spent mainly at the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League, he moved to the Springfield Indians. Here he had with Eddie Shore a great supporter as a coach. The Chicago Blackhawks tried it from there for the NHL needs to leave, but Shore did to prevent this. With the expansion of the NHL from six to twelve teams, the Springfield Indians were the farm team of the Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings were allowed to not pass this opportunity and took him to the 1967/68 season in the NHL. With eleven goals and 27 assists, he had an impressive start in the NHL. Presumably, the fact that he was already 28 years old when his NHL debut, a reason why he as the best rookie against Derek Sanderson drew the short straw in the race for the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Less than three years he was the top defender of the Kings and was also nominated several times for the NHL All-Star Game before joining, among others, for Denis DeJordy to the Chicago Blackhawks during the season 1969/70. Here he formed together with Pat Stapleton is one of the best defenders duos in the league. White impressed physically tough but fair duels to decide in important situations for themselves, especially by its consistently strong defensive work and ability.

By expanding the league Blackhawks advanced to the Western Division, which they dominated in the early years. White helped the team repeatedly to lead in the Stanley Cup finals, and in the Summit Series in 1972, he was in the squad of the Canadian team. Here the crucial eighth game he managed a goal.

In the first round of the playoffs the season 1975/76 he was forced to the gang in a game against the Montreal Canadiens by Doug Jarvis and Bob Gainey in combat and withdrew it a nerve injury to the back. After his right arm he could not put your full weight for a long time, he did not return as a player back on the ice.

Already in the course of the playoffs 1976/77 he took over after the dismissal of Billy Reay at the Blackhawks the post of head coach. After the end of the season, he joined the OHA, where he still the Oshawa Generals and the Toronto Marlboros trained in the coming years.

NHL stats

Sporting successes

Personal Awards

  • NHL Second All-Star Team: 1972, 1973 and 1974
  • Participate in the NHL All-Star Game: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974
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