Justin Williams
Encyclopedia
Justin Williams is a Canadian
professional ice hockey
right winger
who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He has also played for the Philadelphia Flyers
and the Carolina Hurricanes
.
Williams was drafted in the 6th round (125th overall) by the Plymouth Whalers in the 1998 OHL Priority Selection. Williams was signed as a 16-year old by the Whalers and split time between the OHL club and their affiliate Compuware Jr.A. club (NAHL) in the 1998-99 season.
He finished his Juniors hockey with two seasons played for the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League.
In four seasons played with the Philadelphia 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
(2000–02), and Ken Hitchcock
(2002–06). Williams was also frequently injured, perhaps hampering his development. He broke his left hand in his rookie season(hit by David Tanabe, Carolina Hurricanes), and had various sprains and strains in his sophomore year. Williams suffered a left knee injury on January 18, 2003, when he was hit low by Tampa Bay's Brad Lukowich
. The hit tore Williams's ACL
and MCL
, and on January 23, 2003, he had surgery to repair the ligaments. Originally projected to miss 4–8 months recovering from the injury, Williams made it back into Philadelphia's lineup in just three months.
Williams was traded to Carolina on January 20, 2004, in exchange for defenceman Danny Markov. During the NHL Lockout in 2004–05, he went overseas to play for Lulea HF of the Swedish Elite League, where he posted 14 goals and 18 assists in 49 games.
Williams was signed to a one year deal with the Hurricanes for the 2005–06 season, when he set career highs in games played (82), goals(31), assists(45), points(76), and penalty minutes (60).
Williams injured popular Montreal Canadiens hockey star and team captain Saku Koivu
without being penalized in Game 3 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, for which he was villainized in some Canadian newspapers and by many Canadiens fans. In spite of the severity the injury caused by Williams' high-stick (severely threatened Koivu's eyesight, Koivu was out for the remainder of the year), the NHL did not suspend Williams for his errant action, allowing him to continue participating in the playoffs despite the severity of his infraction.
Williams scored the final goal of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
, an empty net goal at 18:59 of the third period as the Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers
3–1 and won the series 4–3.
On July 1, 2006, Williams signed a 5-year deal with the Hurricanes, worth $3.5 million per season.
In 2006–07 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 the 2007 NHL All-Star game in Dallas, recording a goal and an assist. Williams also played for Team Canada in the World Championships, winning his second gold medal.
Williams was off to a good start for his 2007–08 season, with 30 points in 36 games (9 goals, 21 assists), when his luck ran out and his season came to a screeching halt. On December 20, 2007, during the first period of a game with the Florida Panthers
, Williams suffered a torn ACL
and MCL in his left knee after a hit by Rostislav Olesz
. Williams underwent successful surgery for the torn ligaments on December 26, 2007, and returned on April 1, 2008, only to leave the game with an unrelated back injury.
On September 17, 2008, Williams was sidelined for 4–6 months when he tore his right Achilles tendon in an off-ice, preseason workout. Williams underwent surgery for said injury on September 18, 2008.
Williams again surprised fans and analysts when he returned from his Achilles injury on December 4, 2008, more than a month earlier than his earliest projected return date. He was greeted by round of applause on his first shift by the Raleigh crowd, and played his first full NHL game in nearly 11 months.
Williams played 32 games before he was again injured, this time by a team mate's slap shot, which broke his left hand.
On March 5, 2009, Williams was traded by the Hurricanes to the Los Angeles Kings
for Patrick O'Sullivan and Calgary's 2nd round draft pick. O'Sullivan was then dealt with Carolina's 2nd round draft pick to Edmonton for Erik Cole.
On February 28th, 2011, Williams signed a 4 year / 14.6 million dollar extension with the Kings.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). He has also played for the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
.
Playing career
Justin Williams grew up in Cobourg, Ontario and played minor hockey in nearby Port Hope of the OMHA before gaining a reputation as a skilled playmaker with the Cobourg Cougars Jr.A. (OHA) in 1997-98.Williams was drafted in the 6th round (125th overall) by the Plymouth Whalers in the 1998 OHL Priority Selection. Williams was signed as a 16-year old by the Whalers and split time between the OHL club and their affiliate Compuware Jr.A. club (NAHL) in the 1998-99 season.
He finished his Juniors hockey with two seasons played for the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League.
In four seasons played with the Philadelphia Flyers, Williams struggled to live up to expectations as he tried to adapt to the varying systems of three separate coaches, Craig Ramsay
Craig Ramsay
Craig Ramsay is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 and the final head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.-Playing career:...
(2000), Bill Barber
Bill Barber
William Charles Barber is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played twelve seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League . As part of the famed LCB line, Barber helped lead the Flyers to the franchise's two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975...
(2000–02), and Ken Hitchcock
Ken Hitchcock
Ken Hitchcock also known as "Hitch" is an NHL hockey coach and pro scout, currently coaching the St. Louis Blues.-Early Years:...
(2002–06). Williams was also frequently injured, perhaps hampering his development. He broke his left hand in his rookie season(hit by David Tanabe, Carolina Hurricanes), and had various sprains and strains in his sophomore year. Williams suffered a left knee injury on January 18, 2003, when he was hit low by Tampa Bay's Brad Lukowich
Brad Lukowich
Brad Lukowich is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. He has won the Stanley Cup once in his career, with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He was on the roster of the Dallas Stars when they won the cup in 1998–99 but did not...
. The hit tore Williams's ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
, and on January 23, 2003, he had surgery to repair the ligaments. Originally projected to miss 4–8 months recovering from the injury, Williams made it back into Philadelphia's lineup in just three months.
Williams was traded to Carolina on January 20, 2004, in exchange for defenceman Danny Markov. During the NHL Lockout in 2004–05, he went overseas to play for Lulea HF of the Swedish Elite League, where he posted 14 goals and 18 assists in 49 games.
Williams was signed to a one year deal with the Hurricanes for the 2005–06 season, when he set career highs in games played (82), goals(31), assists(45), points(76), and penalty minutes (60).
Williams injured popular Montreal Canadiens hockey star and team captain Saku Koivu
Saku Koivu
Saku Antero Koivu is a Finnish professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . He began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1995–96 after three seasons with TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...
without being penalized in Game 3 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, for which he was villainized in some Canadian newspapers and by many Canadiens fans. In spite of the severity the injury caused by Williams' high-stick (severely threatened Koivu's eyesight, Koivu was out for the remainder of the year), the NHL did not suspend Williams for his errant action, allowing him to continue participating in the playoffs despite the severity of his infraction.
Williams scored the final goal of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...
, an empty net goal at 18:59 of the third period as the Hurricanes defeated the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
3–1 and won the series 4–3.
On July 1, 2006, Williams signed a 5-year deal with the Hurricanes, worth $3.5 million per season.
In 2006–07 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 the 2007 NHL All-Star game in Dallas, recording a goal and an assist. Williams also played for Team Canada in the World Championships, winning his second gold medal.
Williams was off to a good start for his 2007–08 season, with 30 points in 36 games (9 goals, 21 assists), when his luck ran out and his season came to a screeching halt. On December 20, 2007, during the first period of a game with the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, Williams suffered a torn ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and MCL in his left knee after a hit by Rostislav Olesz
Rostislav Olesz
Rostislav Olesz is a professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Olesz was originally drafted in the 1st round, 7th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft....
. Williams underwent successful surgery for the torn ligaments on December 26, 2007, and returned on April 1, 2008, only to leave the game with an unrelated back injury.
On September 17, 2008, Williams was sidelined for 4–6 months when he tore his right Achilles tendon in an off-ice, preseason workout. Williams underwent surgery for said injury on September 18, 2008.
Williams again surprised fans and analysts when he returned from his Achilles injury on December 4, 2008, more than a month earlier than his earliest projected return date. He was greeted by round of applause on his first shift by the Raleigh crowd, and played his first full NHL game in nearly 11 months.
Williams played 32 games before he was again injured, this time by a team mate's slap shot, which broke his left hand.
On March 5, 2009, Williams was traded by the Hurricanes to the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
for Patrick O'Sullivan and Calgary's 2nd round draft pick. O'Sullivan was then dealt with Carolina's 2nd round draft pick to Edmonton for Erik Cole.
On February 28th, 2011, Williams signed a 4 year / 14.6 million dollar extension with the Kings.
Personal life
On August 12, 2006, Williams married his fiancée, Kelly. Justin and Kelly Williams celebrated the birth of their son, Jaxon, on July 3, 2008.Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1998–99 | Compuware Ambassadors Detroit Jr. Red Wings (SOJHL) The Detroit Jr. Red Wings are a defunct Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey team that was based out of Detroit, Michigan. They played out of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League and were the feeder team for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings.... |
NAHL North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League... |
9 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 1998–99 OHL season The 1998–99 OHL season was the 19th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Belleville Bulls won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the London Knights.... |
Plymouth Whalers Plymouth Whalers The Plymouth Whalers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, USA.-History:... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
47 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1999–00 1999–2000 OHL season The 1999–2000 OHL season was the 20th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Barrie Colts won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Plymouth Whalers.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:-Scoring leaders:... |
Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 68 | 37 | 46 | 83 | 46 | 23 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 10 | ||
| 2000–01 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
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 Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center... |
NHL | 32 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 Elitserien season The 2004–05 Elitserien season was the 30th season of Elitserien. It started on September 20, 2004, with the regular season ending March 1, 2005. The playoffs of the 81st Swedish Championship ended on April 11, with Frölunda HC taking the championship.... |
Luleå HF Luleå HF Luleå Hockeyförening is an ice hockey club from Luleå, Sweden. Luleå is the most northern club in the league and has played in Elitserien constantly since the 1984-85 season. They have won the Swedish championships once, in 1996... |
SEL Elitserien Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden... |
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 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 32 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 49 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 39 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 73 | 22 | 35 | 57 | 59 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 625 | 157 | 249 | 406 | 431 | 51 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 50 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 2002 IIHF World Championship The 2002 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 26 and May 11, 2002 in Gothenburg, Karlstad and Jönköping, Sweden.It was the 66th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .-Qualification Tournament:... |
Canada | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2004 2004 IIHF World Championship The 2004 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 24 and May 9, 2004 in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic.It was the 68th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .-Qualification Tournament:... |
Canada | WC | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2007 2007 IIHF World Championship The 2007 IIHF World Championship were held between April 27 and May 13, 2007 in Moscow, Russia. It was the 71st annual world championship event run by the International Ice Hockey Federation... |
Canada | WC | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 23 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 26 | |||