Bill White

Bill White's road to stardom was long, although it wasn't until after the famous Summit Series in 1972 against the Russians that he got the recognition among the fans that he deserved as arguably the league's best defensive defenseman.

White was selected by Canada's coach Harry Sinden to bolster the defense and Bill proved to be the calm and collected defenseman needed in such a series. Bill White was an outstanding defenseman with Team Canada 1972, contributing 1 goal and 1 assist in seven games played. Not exactly a flashy player, White's inclusion on the team may have surprised casual hockey fans, but certainly not his teammates.

White of course counts game eight as his favorite memory of the series - Henderson's goal and the celebrations. But don't forget the Canadians had to kill off the final 34 seconds of the game following Henderson's goal - 34 seconds which felt like an eternity.

Who was put out on the ice to help kill off the final seconds? Bill White. In fact it was White who relieved the pressure the Soviets were applying late in the game when he flipped the puck high down the ice. White's clearing attempt was perfect, as it was not far enough for icing. That effectively killed off the rest of the game.

The Russians constantly praised White for his steady and classy play.

Born and raised in Toronto, Bill captained the famed Toronto Marlboros as a junior. After four years with the Marlboros he played three seasons with the Rochester Americans in the NHL. On June 8, 1962, the Maple Leafs shipped away White with four other players for Kent Douglas who had just been proclaimed as AHL's best defenseman. Bill was traded to the Springfield Indians of the AHL, a team that was owned by the legendary Eddie Shore. Little did White know what impact Shore would have on his hockey career. The good news was that Bill developed into one of AHL's best defensemen under Shore's tutelage, a NHL caliber defender at that. The bad news was that he got stuck with Shore and Springfield for five years.

Shore was every hockey players nightmare and Bill's situation wasn't any different. Although Bill was clearly good enough for the NHL, Shore denied him the opportunity to play in the NHL. Several teams showed their interest in Bill but quickly changed their minds when Shore told them what he wanted in return.

During the 1966-67 seasons some of the Springfield players revolted and threatened to strike if the conditions wouldn't improve. This was a start of a new regime where the players paved the way for themselves to call a few shots of their own. The following summer the wealthy Jack Kent Cooke bought the entire Springfield team with the intent to move the team to Los Angeles where the best players would form the base for the expansion Los Angeles Kings. These events proved to be the break for Bill that he had waited for a long time.

White made his NHL debut for Los Angeles as a 28-year old. He played an steady, cautious game with few errors, relying on his lengthy reach and surprisingly mobile skating ability. He was the kind of defensemen most fans and media won't notice during a game, but his coach and teammates appreciate.

A contract dispute lead to strained relations with the Kings, and ultimately a trade to Chicago. At the time of his arrival, Chicago's anchor on defense Pat Stapleton was injured. Bill filled that spot more than adequately and the duo became a vital cog for the Chicago defense for years.

Coach Bill Reay was especially thankful to have White on his blue line.

"He's not spectacular, but he does a solid, workman-like job. He doesn't make too many mistakes. He's not going to dazzle anyone, but he's just the steady, dependable sort of defenseman we need."

Bill's steady but unspectacular play saw him appear in six straight All-Star games between 1969-74. He was also a 2nd team All-Star for three consecutive seasons between 1972-74. He helped the Hawks reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1971 and 1973, though they came up short both times.

Although White was robbed of many good years in the NHL he managed to play in 604 regular season games and 91 playoff games until he retired after the 1975-76 season.

Although Eddie Shore denied him the opportunity to play in the NHL it was thanks to Shore that he developed into such a fine defenseman.

"I am grateful to Shore for some things, though," he admitted to the Sporting News in 1979. "He was a very patient coach and really taught his players what the game is all about. He'd have you do a certain thing over and over until it became automatic. I owe a lot to Shore's practices."