Justin Williams to Join Hurricanes' Hall of Fame
© James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports - Justin Williams to Join Hurricanes' Hall of FameThe Carolina Hurricanes have announced that Justin Williams will be inducted into the team Hall of Fame.
A 2006 Stanley Cup Champion, former captain and current special advisor to the general manager, "Mr. Game 7" will be the fifth member of the Hurricanes' Hall of Fame joining Rod Brind'Amour, Ron Francis, Glen Wesley and Cam Ward.
The formal induction will take place on Jan. 15, 2024 when the Hurricanes host the LA Kings, Williams' second-longest tenured club and the place he won two Stanley Cups.
Williams, who was drafted in 2000 by the Philadelphia Flyers, was traded to the Hurricanes in 2004 and would spend the next four seasons with the team.
He would hit the 30-goal mark in both 2005-06 and 2006-07 — being second and first in team scoring in each year respectively — and he eclipsed 65 points in both of those seasons as well.
He helped the Canes to their first, and only, Stanley Cup in 2006, scoring the final goal in Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers, an empty-net dagger to go up 3-1 with just 1:01 remaining in the third period.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YCOZmjyVmc[/embed]
Williams was traded to the LA Kings in 2009 as part of a three-team trade that brought Erik Cole back to the Hurricanes.
With the Kings, Williams would go on to win two more Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, even capturing the Conn Smythe in 2014 as the playoff MVP with nine goals and 25 points.
After nearly a decade away from the team, the Hurricanes brought Williams back in 2017 to help right the ship. After Bill Peters was replaced by Rod Brind'Amour in 2018, Williams was named captain and he played a huge part in bringing the team back into relevancy.
The "Mr. Game 7" moniker Williams acquired came from his penchant for clutch moments in those decisive playoff moments.
Williams had seven goals and 15 points across nine career Game 7s. He had an 8-1 record in those games, with his lone loss coming in 2017 in the second round against the Pittsburgh Penguins when he was a member of the Washington Capitals.
That loss was also the only Game 7 he didn't get at least a single point in.
Across his eight Game 7 wins, he scored the game-winning goal twice and had the primary assist on the game-winning goal four times.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swYqvWF_a5o[/embed]
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