Thrashers heading White way

The hiring of a familiar coach was exactly the boost Todd White wanted.

When the Atlanta Thrashers selected John Anderson as their head coach prior to the 2008-09 season, White was elated to be reunited with his old International Hockey League coach. After four stellar years at Clarkson, White said, he played under Anderson for approximately 20 to 25 games as a member of the Indianapolis Ice.

In that 1997-98 season, White finished with 83 points — still the highest total in his collegiate or professional career. He was awarded the Garry F. Longman Memorial Trophy, which is given to the best player in his first season in the IHL.

Anderson relied on White from the beginning of this season in Atlanta. He grouped the 33-year-old center with forwards Vyacheslav Kozlov and Bryan Little, and White's numbers skyrocketed. The 12-year NHL pivot registered a career-high 73 points. He also played in all 82 games for the Thrashers.

"You feel like a mistake isn't going to cost you ice time," said White in a phone conversation last week. "You'll go out and do things you feel you can do. This year, I had confidence right from the start."

White was an exemplary puck distributor and a productive force on special teams with Kozlov and Little. He finished in the NHL's top 15 in assists (51) and power-play points (34), which placed him among the league's elite offensive players.

"He's a tremendously smart player," said Rich Peverley, a Thrashers forward and St. Lawrence University product. "He knows the little things about the game that other guys don't know. He loves the game."

After White was paired with star forward Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta completed the season strongly. From the beginning of March, the Thrashers finished with a 12-7 record, which included a six-game winning streak. White knows the reason for his success in the back half of his playing career.

"I had to come in the NHL and change my game," White said. "I had to be more of a defensive player than I was in college. Because of that, I try to be a good two-way center and try to be on the defensive side. This year more than any other, I tried to do both."

With an infusion of promising talent — which includes Peverley, as well as Massena native and defenseman Zach Bogosian — White believes Atlanta will be in playoff contention next season.

"We have a great group of young guys who played better toward the end," White said. "I don't expect many moves. Barring any trades, everyone should be back. A couple additions could put us over the top."

HAPPY TO BE THERE

Forget the numbers. Mike McKenna is just glad he could represent his hometown of St. Louis by making an NHL roster.

The St. Lawrence University graduate appeared in 15 games as a goaltender for Tampa Bay this season. He tried to repair a disastrous 2008-09 campaign for the Lightning, but finished with a 4-8-1 record and a 3.56 goals-against average.

Still, the numbers don't matter to McKenna. He didn't have a single winning season in college, but he constructed his reputation as a reliable netminder in the minor leagues. He went 11-10-1 with the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League before being called up by Tampa Bay. The Lightning's top two goalies on the depth chart were out with injuries.

"I worked at it for a long time," McKenna said. "From that standpoint of where I came from, it's a pretty long road."

McKenna called playing in the NHL "a cakewalk" in comparison to the minors, but only because of the accommodations. He seemed unfazed by the level of play once he arrived in Tampa. In his second NHL start, he stopped 28 shots in a 1-0 shutout of the New York Islanders in February.

"My phone lit up like a slot machine," McKenna said.

With the joy of reaching a personal apex soon came great despair. Tampa Bay wasn't even close to making the playoffs. For the first time in his career, McKenna didn't participate in any postseason.

"This season was the most difficult of my life," McKenna said. "The team in Norfolk wasn't very good. They were second-to-last there, and the same thing in Tampa. If you're not winning hockey games, it isn't much fun. The losing culture can be a nightmare at times."

McKenna said he'd pick some new hobbies during his extended summer, but he plans on watching the NHL playoffs on a nightly basis. His future in Tampa Bay, however, is still uncertain.

"It's hard to project what someone can be until they really are a No. 1 goalie," McKenna said. "I haven't had a chance to be that yet. But if I end up being a career backup in the NHL, that's still an amazing accomplishment in itself."

MITCHELL HONORED BY FANS

The most avid Vancouver Canucks fans know what type of season defenseman Willie Mitchell has had.

The former Clarkson standout was the recipient of the Walter (Bebe) Pratt Trophy for the second consecutive season earlier this month. The award is voted on by fans, and it's given to the team's most outstanding defenseman.

Mitchell is deserving of such an accolade. Vancouver's alternate captain appeared in all 82 regular-season games and totaled a career-best 23 points. He also led the Canucks with a plus-29 rating.

This postseason, Mitchell assisted on the game-winning overtime goal in Vancouver's series-clinching win over St. Louis last week in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. He finished with two assists in the victory. The Canucks will face Detroit in the conference semifinals.