| Justin Williams | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Williams with theWashington Capitals in 2016 | |||
| Born | (1981-10-04)October 4, 1981 (age 44) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 184 lb (83 kg; 13 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Philadelphia Flyers Carolina Hurricanes Luleå HF Los Angeles Kings Washington Capitals | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL draft | 28th overall,2000 Philadelphia Flyers | ||
| Playing career | 2000–2020 | ||
Medal record | |||
Justin Craig Williams (born October 4, 1981) is a Canadian former professionalice hockeyright winger. He played in theNational Hockey League (NHL) for thePhiladelphia Flyers,Carolina Hurricanes,Los Angeles Kings, andWashington Capitals.
Williams won theStanley Cup three times: in2006 with the Hurricanes and in2012 and2014 with the Kings. Nicknamed "Mr. Game 7",[1] Williams played ninegame seven playoff games in his NHL career, with his team sporting a 8–1 record in these games. He currently is tied for most goals in these games withGlenn Anderson at seven, and has the outright record for most game seven points, with 15. Williams won theConn Smythe Trophy asmost valuable player of the playoffs in2014 with the Kings.
Williams was born October 4, 1981, inCobourg,Ontario,[2] to parents Craig and Denise.[3]
Growing up in Cobourg, Williams played minor hockey in nearbyPort Hope in theOntario Minor Hockey Association (OMHMA) before joining theCobourg Cougars of theOntario Provincial Junior A Hockey League in 1997–98.[2] His favourite players growing up wereSergei Fedorov andWayne Gretzky.[4]
Williams was drafted in the sixth round, 125th overall, by theOntario Hockey League (OHL)'sPlymouth Whalers in the 1998 OHL Priority Selection. He was signed as a 16-year-old by the Whalers and split time between the OHL club and their affiliate, the Compuware Jr. A. club of theNorth American Hockey League (NAHL), during the1998–99 season. He finished his junior career with two seasons played for Plymouth.
Williams was drafted in the first round, 28th overall, by thePhiladelphia Flyers in the2000 NHL entry draft. In four seasons played with the Flyers, Williams struggled to live up to expectations, as he tried to adapt to the varying systems of three separate coaches –Craig Ramsay (2000),Bill Barber (2000–2002) andKen Hitchcock (2002–2006). Williams was also frequently injured, which simultaneously hampered his development. He broke his left hand in his rookie season (hit byDavid Tanabe of theCarolina Hurricanes) and had various sprains and strains in his sophomore year. Williams also suffered a left knee injury on January 18, 2003, when he was hit low by theTampa Bay Lightning'sBrad Lukowich. The hit tore Williams'anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) andmedial collateral ligament (MCL), and, on January 23, 2003, he had surgery to repair the ligaments. Originally projected to miss four to eight months recovering from the injury, Williams made it back into Philadelphia's line-up in just three months.
On January 20, 2004, Williams was traded to theCarolina Hurricanes in exchange for defencemanDanny Markov.[5] He finished the season with a career-high 33 assists and 44 points in 79 games for the Hurricanes and Flyers.[6] Once the season ended, he represented Team Canada at the2004 IIHF World Championship and signed a one-year contract extension with the Hurricanes.[7] However, due to the2004–05 NHL lockout, he went overseas to play forLuleå HF of the SwedishElitserien.[8] After recorded 14 goals and 18 assists in 49 games, he returned to the Hurricanes for the2005-06 season.[9] Before the season began, Williams signed a one-year $1.23 million contract extension with the Hurricanes.[6]
During the 2005–06 season, he set career-highs in games played (82), goals (31), assists (45), points (76) and penalty minutes (60).[10] In Game 3 of the2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Williams hitMontreal Canadiens captainSaku Koivu with an errant high stick, severely injuring his left eye.[11] The injury resulted in Koivu missing the remainder of the series and caused Canadiens fans toboo Williams everytime he touched the puck.[12] Williams scored the final goal of the2006 Stanley Cup Finals, an empty net goal at 18:59 of the third period of Game 7.[13] On July 1, 2006, Williams signed a new five-year contract with the Hurricanes worth $3.5 million per season.[14]
In2006–07, Williams recorded career-highs in goals (33), penalty minutes (73), power play goals (12) and game-winning goals (8). It was Williams' second consecutive season of 82 games played. Williams made his first appearance in an NHL All-Star game at the2007 NHL All-Star Game inDallas, recording a goal and an assist. Williams also played forCanada in the2007 IIHF World Championship,[15] in which he won his second gold medal.
Williams continued his previous season's dominance with nine goals and 21 assists by mid-December before suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.[16] Williams underwent successful surgery for the torn ligaments on December 26, 2007, and returned on April 1, 2008.[17]
On September 17, 2008, Williams was thought to be sidelined for four-to-six months when he tore his rightAchilles tendon in an off-ice, pre-season workout.[18] He missed the first 25 games of the regular season but returned from his injury on December 4, 2008.[19] In his first game back, Williams tallied his first goal since November 23, 2007.[20]
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On March 4, 2009, Williams was traded to theLos Angeles Kings in exchange forPatrick O'Sullivan and theCalgary Flames' second-round draft pick.[21]
On February 28, 2011, Williams signed a new four-year, $14.6 million contract with Los Angeles.[22] He scored 15 points in the2012 playoffs, helping the Kings win their first Stanley Cup.
During the2012–13 season, Williams scored 11 goals with 22 assists, as the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings would make another deep playoff run before ultimately falling in five games to thePresidents' Trophy-winning and eventual Stanley Cup championChicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals of the2013 playoffs.
Williams won theConn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the2014 playoffs, where he won his third Stanley Cup and second with the Kings. He scored nine goals and 15 assists during the playoffs, including the game-winning goal in Game 1 theFinals against theNew York Rangers, and the Kings' first in the 3–2 comeback in Game 5 to win the Cup. Williams also had points in all three Game 7 matches the Kings had en route to the Finals.[4]
On July 1, 2015, Williams signed a two-year, $6.25 million contract with theWashington Capitals.[23] He would play his 1,000th NHL game on April 10, 2016. Despite the team winning back-to-backPresidents' Trophies,[24][25] the Capitals could not advance past the second round in either season.[26][27]
On July 1, 2017, Williams returned to the Hurricanes, signing a two-year, $9 million contract.[28]
On September 13, 2018, Williams was named the captain of the Hurricanes, replacing the co-captaincy ofJordan Staal andJustin Faulk.[29] The Hurricanes qualified for the2019 playoffs.[30] The team reached theEastern Conference Finals, losing in a four-game sweep to theBoston Bruins.[31] Williams finished with seven points in 15 games.
As a free agent during the 2019 off-season, Williams was undecided on whether he would return to professional hockey.[32] If he chose to return, it would only be with the Hurricanes.[33] On September 2, Williams announced he had "decided to step away from the game."[34] On January 7, 2020, Williams returned to the Hurricanes, signing a one-year, $700,000 contract.[35] In his return to the lineup on January 19, he scored the game-deciding shootout goal to defeat theNew York Islanders 2–1.[36]
On October 8, 2020, Williams announced his retirement from professional hockey after a 19-season NHL career.[37]
On February 7, 2021, shortly after retiring, Williams was hired as a "special advisor" to Hurricanes general managerDon Waddell.[38]
Since the 2023–24 season, he has been a studio analyst forSportsnetMonday Night Hockey.
Williams married his fiancée, Kelly, on August 12, 2006. The couple have two children together: a son and a daughter.[39] They bought a house inVentnor,New Jersey, in 2009.[40] The family moved toCary, North Carolina in 2016, and played a role in Williams' decision to return to the Hurricanes.[41]
Williams' great-uncleZellio Toppazzini was a professional ice hockey player who played 123 games in the NHL with the New York Rangers,Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks and was inducted into theAmerican Hockey League (AHL) Hall of Fame in 2012. Williams is the grandnephew ofJerry Toppazzini, a forward who played 12 seasons in the NHL, most notably for the Boston Bruins.[42]
Williams is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, having acquired American citizenship by naturalization in June 2017.[43]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1998–99 | Compuware Ambassadors | NAHL | 9 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 47 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1999–00 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 68 | 37 | 46 | 83 | 46 | 23 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 10 | ||
| 2000–01 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 63 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 75 | 17 | 23 | 40 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 41 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 22 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 2003–04 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 47 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 32 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Luleå HF | SEL | 49 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 61 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 | ||
| 2005–06 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 31 | 45 | 76 | 60 | 25 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 34 | ||
| 2006–07 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 33 | 34 | 67 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 37 | 9 | 21 | 30 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 32 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 49 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 39 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 73 | 22 | 35 | 57 | 59 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 82 | 22 | 37 | 59 | 44 | 20 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 12 | ||
| 2012–13 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 48 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 22 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 2013–14 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 82 | 19 | 24 | 43 | 48 | 26 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 35 | ||
| 2014–15 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 81 | 18 | 23 | 41 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 82 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 36 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 | ||
| 2016–17 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 24 | 24 | 48 | 50 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 | ||
| 2017–18 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 16 | 35 | 51 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 23 | 30 | 53 | 44 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 18 | ||
| 2019–20 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 20 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | ||
| NHL totals | 1,264 | 320 | 477 | 797 | 766 | 162 | 41 | 61 | 102 | 152 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Canada | WC | 6th | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2004 | Canada | WC |  | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2007 | Canada | WC | | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16 | |
| Senior totals | 23 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 26 | ||||
| Award | Year(s) | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| NHL All-Star Game | 2007 | |
| Stanley Cup champion | 2006,2012,2014 | |
| Conn Smythe Trophy | 2014 | [4] |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Philadelphia Flyers' first-round draft pick 2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Conn Smythe Trophy winner 2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Carolina Hurricanes captain 2018–19 | Succeeded by |
