Colin White (ice hockey, born 1997)
A skilled two-way center whose promising start with Ottawa was challenged by injuries, leading to a journeyman's path through the NHL.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American ice hockey player·Birthday: January 30·Generation Z
Biography
Colin White's hockey journey has been a narrative of early promise, hard-setback, and persistent reinvention. Drafted in the first round by Ottawa, the Massachusetts-born center arrived with the pedigree of a U.S. National Team development program star and a standout at Boston College. His rookie season in 2018-19 suggested a bright future, as he played a responsible, two-way game and signed a long-term contract. However, injuries, including a significant shoulder problem, derailed his trajectory in the Canadian capital, robbing him of consistency and his offensive touch. After being bought out by the Senators, White embarked on a tour of the league's depth charts, bringing his defensive diligence and faceoff ability to Florida, Pittsburgh, and Montreal. His story is one of adaptability, a player once seen as a core piece now fighting to carve out a role as a reliable, detail-oriented professional wherever the opportunity arises.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Colin was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Colin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Colin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected 21st overall by the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
- Recorded a career-high 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in his first full NHL season with Ottawa in 2018-19.
- Won a gold medal with the United States at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.
- Played a key role in Boston College's run to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2016.
Did You Know?
His father, also named Colin White, was a longtime linesman in the NHL.
He played high school hockey at prestigious Noble and Greenough School in Massachusetts.
He was teammates with current NHL star Jack Eichel on the U.S. National Under-18 Team.
He scored his first NHL goal against Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens.
“You have to prove yourself every single day in this league.”
