Sheng Peng: Suzuki's Super Hockey Sense at #11?; Tribute to Bill White Why Nick Suzuki to LA? + some great Bill White stories

Reminds me of a Mike Richards type of player

Reminds me of a Mike Richards type of player
- ryanzlakings

Not a bad comp, except nowhere as physical.

Reminds me of a Mike Richards type of player
- ryanzlakings

He's a Coke head?

Not a bad comp, except nowhere as physical.
- Sheng Peng

Physical no, but the IQ and skill set yes.

He's a Coke head?
- Iggysbff

If there was a cup for that he would be hoisting it above his head daily

Would the kings give up their first to vegas to get rid of brown and gaborik? Tough price to pay but to rid themselves of those contracts it might be worth it.

He's a Coke head?
- Iggysbff

Talking about Richards, not Stoll.

Would the kings give up their first to vegas to get rid of brown and gaborik? Tough price to pay but to rid themselves of those contracts it might be worth it.
- mauryballstein

To give up Brown AND Gaborik? Man, I'd have to think about that. I don't think Vegas would do that though, they want to be competitive sooner than that.

Not a bad comp, except nowhere as physical.
- Sheng Peng

the pavelski comparison is an interesting one. i'd say pavs is a pretty physical player, in that he absorbs an incredible amt of punishment and sticks his nose in the tough areas to score goals. certainly not soft.

i'm assuming the notion of "nowhere near as physical (as richards)" means he doesn't play with an edge of dishing out punishment.

Would the kings give up their first to vegas to get rid of brown and gaborik? Tough price to pay but to rid themselves of those contracts it might be worth it.
- mauryballstein

Honestly, you'd probably have to at least consider it. Draft isn't considered to be anywhere near the level as previous drafts. It's worth some thought.

the pavelski comparison is an interesting one. i'd say pavs is a pretty physical player, in that he absorbs an incredible amt of punishment and sticks his nose in the tough areas to score goals. certainly not soft.

i'm assuming the notion of "nowhere near as physical (as richards)" means he doesn't play with an edge of dishing out punishment.
- hiway39

Yea, I meant in terms of dishing out punishment. Suzuki isn't a perimeter player by any stretch.

Would the kings give up their first to vegas to get rid of brown and gaborik? Tough price to pay but to rid themselves of those contracts it might be worth it.
- mauryballstein

In a New York Minute.

Bill White was an interesting story.....played juniors in the late Fifties for the Toronto Marlies, and in those pre-Entry Draft days, players rights usually belonged to the team that operated the junior team....in this case the Maple Leafs. After a few years playing for the Leafs AHL Rochester farm team, the Leafs traded him to the AHL Springfield Indians - an independent team run by former Hall of Fame defenseman Eddie Shore. White developed into a star defenseman for the Indians and drew the attention of NHL teams, but Shore refused to let him go ; eventually White became a leader in a players uprising that undermined Shore and eventually led to the creation of the NHL Players Union. The Kings acquired White in an interesting way as well.....Kings owner Jack Kent Cooke acquired the Springfield team from Shore prior to the Kings first season, and White and a few other Springfield players finally got their NHL chance. White was solid as a King, but Cooke and others in the Kings front office did not quite recognize his value....he was eventually traded to Chicago in a deal that returned defenseman Gilles "Captain Crunch" Marotte, a more marketable player in Cooke's eyes buy not nearly the player White was. RIP Bill.

Bill White was an interesting story.....played juniors in the late Fifties for the Toronto Marlies, and in those pre-Entry Draft days, players rights usually belonged to the team that operated the junior team....in this case the Maple Leafs. After a few years playing for the Leafs AHL Rochester farm team, the Leafs traded him to the AHL Springfield Indians - an independent team run by former Hall of Fame defenseman Eddie Shore. White developed into a star defenseman for the Indians and drew the attention of NHL teams, but Shore refused to let him go ; eventually White became a leader in a players uprising that undermined Shore and eventually led to the creation of the NHL Players Union. The Kings acquired White in an interesting way as well.....Kings owner Jack Kent Cooke acquired the Springfield team from Shore prior to the Kings first season, and White and a few other Springfield players finally got their NHL chance. White was solid as a King, but Cooke and others in the Kings front office did not quite recognize his value....he was eventually traded to Chicago in a deal that returned defenseman Gilles "Captain Crunch" Marotte, a more marketable player in Cooke's eyes buy not nearly the player White was. RIP Bill.
- jkaflagg

Great share, thanks. A lot of pundits criticized Cooke and Larry Regan's expansion team-building strategy (buying the best minor league team out there in Springfield + picking mostly younger players in Expansion Draft), but at least in the first season, when LA finished just a point out of the Western Division crown, he had the last laugh.

It's a shame that we didn't get to see Bill White in the NHL earlier. Like I said, a possible Hall of Famer.