Bill White (ice hockey)

Bill White

White in 1973
Born (1939-08-26) August 26, 1939
Toronto, ON, CAN
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for AHL
Rochester Americans
Springfield Indians
NHL
Los Angeles Kings
Chicago Black Hawks
National team  Canada
Playing career 19591976

William Earl White (born August 26, 1939) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. White was one of the most notable defensive defencemen of the 1970s.

Playing career

After playing his junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association, White turned professional in 1960. Held back due to the paucity of jobs available in the Original Six days of the National Hockey League, he would star seven seasons in all in the minor league American Hockey League, mostly for the Springfield Indians. While with the Indians, White was instrumental in the players' strikes which led to the prominence of agent Alan Eagleson and the creation of the National Hockey League Players' Association.

The Los Angeles Kings of the NHL acquired the rights to White in the 1967 NHL expansion, and White was the Kings' best defenceman out of the gate, leading the team in scoring both full years he played for them. During the 1970 season, White was traded to the powerful Chicago Black Hawks, for whom he would play the remainder of his career. Paired with rushing defenceman Pat Stapleton, they formed one of the greatest defensive pairings of the decade, and despite recurring minor injuries, White averaged nearly 30 assists a season in his five full seasons with Chicago. During that time, he was named to the NHL's Second All-Star squad on defence in 1972, 1973 and 1974, as well as being named to play in the All-Star Game for six consecutive seasons between 1969 and 1974. He was also a member of the Canadian team in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviets, playing eight games.

Already missing significant time in the previous seasons due to injuries, White suffered a neck injury in the 1976 playoffs from which he sustained lingering nerve damage, and retired in consequence.

White finished his NHL career with 50 goals, 215 assists and 265 points in 604 games, with 495 penalty minutes. At the time of his retirement, even though he had played only six full seasons with the Hawks, he was in the top five of all-time Black Hawk defence scorers.

Retirement

White replaced long-time Black Hawks coach Billy Reay as interim coach midway through the 1977 season, but failed to improve the team's fortunes and left after that season. He later went on to coach his old junior team, the Toronto Marlboros.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1956–57 Weston Dukes MetJHL
1956–57 Toronto Marlboros OHA-Jr. 2 0 0 0 4
1957–58 Toronto Marlboros OHA-Jr. 52 2 7 9 34 13 1 2 3 18
1957–58 Toronto Marlboros M-Cup 5 0 0 0 4
1958–59 Toronto Marlboros OHA-Jr. 54 3 17 20 63 5 3 0 3 2
1959–60 Toronto Marlboros OHA-Jr. 48 2 17 19 66 4 0 1 1 16
1959–60 Rochester Americans AHL 1 0 0 0 0
1960–61 Sudbury Wolves EPHL 21 1 2 3 20
1960–61 Rochester Americans AHL 47 1 9 10 37
1961–62 Rochester Americans AHL 67 5 21 26 58 2 0 1 1 2
1962–63 Springfield Indians AHL 69 8 38 46 38
1963–64 Springfield Indians AHL 72 7 31 38 76
1964–65 Springfield Indians AHL 71 7 31 38 66
1965–66 Springfield Indians AHL 68 5 14 19 42 6 0 2 2 6
1966–67 Springfield Indians AHL 69 5 29 34 68
1967–68 Los Angeles Kings NHL 74 11 27 38 100 7 2 2 4 4
1968–69 Los Angeles Kings NHL 75 5 28 33 38 11 1 4 5 8
1969–70 Los Angeles Kings NHL 40 4 11 15 21
1969–70 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 21 0 5 5 18 8 1 2 3 8
1970–71 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 67 4 21 25 64 18 1 4 5 20
1971–72 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 76 7 22 29 58 8 0 3 3 6
1972–73 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 72 9 38 47 80 16 1 6 7 10
1973–74 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 69 5 31 36 52 11 1 7 8 14
1974–75 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 51 4 23 27 20 8 0 3 3 4
1975–76 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 59 1 9 10 44 4 0 1 1 2
AHL totals 464 38 173 211 385 8 0 3 3 8
NHL totals 604 50 215 265 495 91 7 32 39 76

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1972 Canada SS 7 1 1 2 8

Coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Division rank Result
CHI1976–77 4616246383rd in SmytheLost in preliminary round
Total 461624638

External links

Preceded by
Billy Reay
Head coach of the Chicago Black Hawks
1976–77
Succeeded by
Bob Pulford
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