If Dwight D. Eisenhower played hockey: defenseman, rated 82

Dwight D. Eisenhower as a hockey player: scouting report

Dwight D. Eisenhower takes a spot on defense, and the reason goes back to his football days at West Point. He played for Army and faced the great Jim Thorpe when Army met Carlisle in 1912, which is about as tough an assignment as a young player could draw. Physical play is the best mark on his card, so he is the defenseman who clears the front of the net, finishes his checks and wins the battles below the goal line.

His passing is just as strong, and that fits a man known above all as an organizer. As Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during the Second World War he coordinated the forces of several nations, and a defenseman who can organize the breakout makes the whole team better. He grew up in Abilene, Kansas, and coached military football teams early in his army career, so he understood game plans and the value of the simple, correct play. His skating and defense are both strong, which lets him close gaps quickly and still recover if a forward gets behind him.

Shooting is the weakest part of his card, so he will not be the one blasting from the point on the power play. Use him as a defenseman who moves the puck rather than one who scores. He was a devoted golfer who had a putting green installed near the White House, and he took up oil painting as a serious hobby, both pastimes that reward patience and practice. Goalie is his next best spot, and center is a reasonable third. Draft him as a top pair defenseman and let him run your defense, because few players in this draft see the whole ice the way he does.

Plays like A physical, stay at home defenseman who makes the smart first pass

Put Dwight D. Eisenhower in your lineup

8 rolls, a starting six and a bench, 82 games. Can you go 82-0? Free, no account.