Ian White (born June 4, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played over 500 games in the National Hockey League. In a career spanning parts of nine seasons, White suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings. White was originally selected in the sixth round, 191st overall in the 2002 NHL Draft. He returned to professional hockey in 2022 with the Columbus River Dragons of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. On October 26, 2022, White was traded to the Motor City Rockers of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. On January 23, 2023, White was signed to a standard player contract with the Norfolk Admirals the ECHL. He was released on November 14, 2023.

Playing career

Amateur White was drafted by the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in the fifth round, 89th overall, in the 1999 WHL Bantam Draft. His first season with Swift Current was fairly successful, as he scored 12 goals and 31 assists in 69 games, which placed him seventh on the team in scoring. The team finished the season first in their division. In White's second season with Swift Current, he fared much better, scoring 32 goals and 47 assists for 79 points in 70 games for second place on the team in scoring. This generated interest amongst NHL teams leading up to the 2002 NHL entry draft, where he was ultimately selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the sixth round, 191st overall.

In 2002–03, White finished third on Swift Current in scoring with 24 goals and 44 assists for 68 points in 64 games, and was also named to the WHL's First All Star Team and the CHL's Second All Star Team. He then played for Canada at the 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Canada finished second place to Russia. White was primarily the seventh defenceman and powerplay specialist for Canada, where he scored two goals and four assists for six points in six games.

The following year, however, White broke his left ankle in late October 2004 and thereby could not be afforded a spot on the 2004 World Junior team.

Professional White made his debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2005–06 season, scoring five points (one goal and four assists) in his first five career NHL games. That same season, White was named to Canada's Spengler Cup squad, which made it into the final against Metallurg Magnitogorsk, losing 8–3. White accumulated one goal in the tournament.

In 2006–07, White scored three goals and 23 assists for a total of 26 points, leaving him tied for second in scoring among rookie defencemen. He spent much of the season playing with the hulking Hal Gill, giving rise to the nickname of "Barney and Fred" due to the almost full foot in height Gill has on White, as well as the massive weight difference.

Due to the high number of defencemen on the roster for the 2008–09 season for the Maple Leafs, White was sat out for the first 11 games of the season before playing his first game, in which he spent some time playing as a third-line forward. In spite of a lack of experience in the position, in eight games there he managed three goals, seven points and a +5 plus-minus rating before returning to defence. As the season progressed, he received more and more ice time, eventually averaging over 25 minutes a game by the end of the year, and finishing the regular season with ten goals, 26 points and a +6 plus-minus.

On January 31, 2010, White was traded, along with Jamal Mayers, Niklas Hagman and Matt Stajan, to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjöström and prospect Keith Aulie. White re-signed with the Flames during the off-season on a one-year contract worth $2.99 million, but was traded, along with Brett Sutter, to the Carolina Hurricanes in mid-November in exchange for Tom Kostopoulos and Anton Babchuk. White played in 39 games for the Hurricanes, recording 11 assists before being dealt again three months later, this time to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a second-round pick in 2012. He recorded an assist in his first game as a Shark and also recorded his first career Stanley Cup playoff point in Game 1 of the 2011 conference quarter-finals against the Los Angeles Kings.

The following summer, White signed a two-year, $5.75 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings, primarily to replace Brian Rafalski who retired after the season. He scored his first goal with Detroit on October 7 during a 5–3 victory over the Ottawa Senators, and finished with 32 points during the 2011–12 season. The following season, shortened because due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, saw White's role with the Red Wings dramatically reduced; he appeared in only 25 of the team's 48 games and scored only four points. During 2012–13 lockout, White made controversial public comments about NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, referring to him as "an idiot...[who has] done nothing but damage the game." White later expressed regret for making the remarks.

Without a contract for the 2013–14 season, White signed a professional try-out contract with the Winnipeg Jets, but was released prior to the end of training camp. White then played a few games with the Steinbach Huskies senior hockey team before joining Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He played just ten games with Chelyabinsk, registering one assist.

White returned to North America midway into the 2014–15 season and signed a professional try-out contract with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL); however, he was later released by Providence less than a month later. He subsequently joined the Milwaukee Admirals and remained with the team until the end of the season.

On December 30, 2021, the Columbus River Dragons of the Federal Prospects Hockey League announced that they signed White to a contract.

Legal issues White was arrested and charged for impaired driving twice in 2005 and 2006, and later arrested again by Toronto police for driving while his licence was suspended. On November 20, 2015, he was arrested at his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba and charged with various weapons offences.

Personal life White is the son of former Steinbach, Manitoba minor hockey coach Allan White, who was Ian's coach and went on to work as a guidance counselor at Steinbach Regional Secondary School.

White has two children with his wife, Tess. The couple separated following the end of his NHL career owing to his difficulties with medication addiction (among others abuse of painkillers during his hockey career). White was temporarily homeless. They are currently estranged.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs     Regular season   Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1999–2000Eastman Selects AAAMMHL3229336236————— 1999–2000Selkirk SteelersMJHL33030————— 2000–01Swift Current BroncosWHL6912314324191456 2001–02Swift Current BroncosWHL70324779401245912 2002–03Swift Current BroncosWHL642444684440440 2003–04Swift Current BroncosWHL43923323251348 2003–04St. John's Maple LeafsAHL80442————— 2004–05St. John's Maple LeafsAHL78422265450222 2005–06Toronto MarliesAHL59829374251454 2005–06Toronto Maple LeafsNHL1215610————— 2006–07Toronto Maple LeafsNHL763232640————— 2007–08Toronto Maple LeafsNHL815162144————— 2008–09Toronto Maple LeafsNHL7110162657————— 2009–10Toronto Maple LeafsNHL569172639————— 2009–10Calgary FlamesNHL26481212————— 2010–11Calgary FlamesNHL162466————— 2010–11Carolina HurricanesNHL390101012————— 2010–11San Jose SharksNHL2328108171898 2011–12Detroit Red WingsNHL77725322251010 2012–13Detroit Red WingsNHL252244————— 2013–14Traktor ChelyabinskKHL100110————— 2014–15Steinbach HuskiesCSHL10110————— 2014–15Providence BruinsAHL81344————— 2014–15Milwaukee AdmiralsAHL343161913————— 2017–18South East Prairie ThunderAC—————30220 2021–22Columbus River DragonsFPHL376172312500042022–23Motor City RockersFPHL25415196—————2022–23Norfolk AdmiralsECHL310141412—————2023–24Norfolk AdmiralsECHL80110————— NHL totals 503 45 134 179 254 22 2 8 10 8

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 2001 Canada U18 5 0 1 12 2003 Canada WJC 6 2 4 6 0 2009 Canada WC 5 1 2 3 0 Junior totals 11 2 5 7 2 Senior totals 5 1 2 3 0

Honours 2001–02 – WHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player 2001–02 – WHL East Second All-Star Team 2002–03 – World Junior Championships silver medal 2002–03 – CHL's Second All-Star Team 2002–03 – WHL East First All-Star Team

References

External links