Times All-North Hockey MVP: Salmon River’s White makes impact without scoring goals | All-North Coverage

Salmon River allowed 43 goals in 23 games, an average of 1.87 per contest, and White was a big reason for that low number.

“He’s a very good skater, very smooth with the Puck,” Salmon River Coach Tim Cook said of White. “He doesn’t give it away. Everything he does with the Puck has a purpose. He moves the puck well and facilitates our breakout. He rarely gets beaten. He just controls games.

“He’s very versatile. He can lay the big hit, but he’s smart enough now of the time to stay away from it unless he needs it. When you are not trapped in your zone and keep coming up the ice at people, that is huge. That’s what they brought to our team. He was the top guy on our power play, a puck-mover. ”

White did not score any goals, but they set up a lot of Salmon River’s scores, finishing with 23 assists, assisting on 21 percent of the team’s goals.

“I thought I did a pretty good job at playing defense and getting the puck to the guys that could score,” White said. “I wasn’t a big scorer, as far as goals, that wasn’t my role for the team. I thought I had to play solid defense and get the puck to those guys that could score. ”

One reason White stood out so much for Salmon River is his work ethic, which is something they learned at home helping out on the family farm.

The White family runs a beef farm and White also works with race horses the family owns.

“I’m in the barn whenever I can and help out and get things done,” White said. “I’ve always grown up on a farm, we’ve always had cows. My father used to be a dairy farmer. We sold our dairy cows and switched to beef. We have some good cows. ”

Hockey is the only sport White plays for Salmon River, but he’s also involved in racing his family’s horses.

“It’s cool how you connect with them,” White said of his horses. “You don’t connect with them like any other animal. It’s different from a dog. The 1,200-pound animal you can control and have a connection with is cool. ”

The attitude White has working at the family farm carries over to hockey.

“He’s one of those kids you tell him to do something and he does it,” Cook said. “At practice he continues to work and does what you tell him. He doesn’t question a lot, he just does it and does it as well as he can. If he has an issue, he comes in the office and tells you what is wrong. ”

Hockey may not be what pays the bills or puts food on the family table, but White treats it just as seriously as he does with helping out at the family farm.

“My mom and dad definitely push me to be good at whatever I (do),” White said. “When I was young that helped me have a good work ethic. Whenever I could get my homework done I would get that out of the way and help my dad in the barn. ”

Said Cook, “He’s a respectful kid. He’s very respectful with everything he says. He brings that to the Locker room. He’s one of those kids that really will keep things in line (with a team). He’s not very vocal, but when it comes down to it, if he speaks, you listen. ”

White plans to attend SUNY Canton in the fall, partly because he’s interested in the electrical engineering program but also because he would be close enough to home to still assist his family.

Usually a men’s hockey player spends some time playing junior hockey before college, even at the NCAA Division III level, but White is not sure if his hockey career has ended.

“I’d like to try to play for (SUNY Canton),” White said. “I will probably try out and see how it goes. It will be a little tough being a walk-on. ”