Bill White, an original Kings team member, dies at 77

Bill White, who played defense for the expansion Los Angeles Kings in the 1967-68 season and was one of the team's alternate captains, died Sunday. He was 77.

White played two seasons for the Kings before he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he excelled for seven seasons and was an All-Star defenseman. He also played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series.

White, a Toronto native, formed an imposing tandem on the Blackhawks' blue line with Pat Stapleton and helped the team reach the playoffs in all seven of his seasons in Chicago.

He appeared in six consecutive All-Star games between 1969 and 1974 and briefly served as head coach of the Blackhawks for the final 46 games of the 1976-77 season.

White finished his career with 50 goals, 215 assists and 495 penalty minutes in 604 NHL games with Los Angeles and Chicago, adding seven goals and 32 assists in 91 playoff appearances.

“The Chicago Blackhawks organization extends its thoughts and heartfelt condolences to Bill White's family as we mourn his loss,” the team said. “He will be remembered as a leader, generous teammate and tough player to play against. His energetic style helped the Blackhawks see great success during his tenure with the team.”

He joined Canada's squad for the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union after Game 1, finishing with a series-best plus-7 defensive rating while acting as a key part of Canada's penalty-killing unit.