Bio

David Bates is a St. Louis native and hockey enthusiast. Skating lessons from Frank Hanley started for David at age 8, and his hockey career began two years later as a Pee Wee for St. Louis Country Club. His first coach was Cliff Behan. The rink was close enough that he could walk to practice, and he helped assemble the rink each year on the practice green. David's fondest hockey memories are the people he has met and friends he has made, including wonderful mentors like Sel Khors. He slide into the net as a Pee Wee to score his first goal at Steinberg. He saw Bobby Orr during the Blue's inaugural season. He was captain under Eddie Olson for the Championship SLCC midget team. He played against the St. Louis Blue's rookie line with Marl Kohrs and Mark Smith and later tried out for the London Knights, OHA. In 1973-4 he was captain of the St. Louis Blazers Junior B team coached by Lou Struckman. Two years later, David was rooming with Jim Neilson at the California Seals Training Camp and was called up once because of injuriess and experienced the speed of NHL hockey.

A graduate of De Smet High school, class of 1972, David is an electronics technician/computer consultant, when he isn't focused on hockey. His best hockey moment is a tie between his work with the Seals and tonight's honor. "Ice hockey is the ultimate sport, St. Louis is an awesome hockey town and I am blessed to have gotten in on the ground floor."