The Carolina Hurricanes struck gold when they appointed Justin Williams as the 16th captain in franchise history in September 2018. His on-ice contributions, experience and desire to entertain Canes fans are invaluable to the organization.
When the Carolina Hurricanes appointed former Stanley Cup-winning captain Rod Brind’Amour as the team’s Head Coach in May 2018, one of his first tasks was to resolve the team’s captaincy. The Canes had been running with Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk as co-captains, but it was clear that Justin Williams was already the leader in the locker room:
"“I think the world of [him] and I think everyone in this room does too,” Faulk said. “I don’t know if we maybe thought the best situation was co-captains anyways. I don’t know if many people did. Obviously that’s a weird situation with how things normally work in the National Hockey League. Obviously we weren’t in the position to tell you guys that last year. Now we can say it’s better to have one guy. That way it’s a clear message and no one is wondering whose voice carries what.”"
As the Carolina Hurricanes chase down their first playoff appearance in a decade, the value of Justin Williams and his experience will be key to the team’s hopes.
He can still play – and contribute
Despite being 37 years of age, our captain can still play this game. Justin Williams has 17 goals and 24 assists in 63 games played, and is on course for his highest points total since he posted 59 points with the Los Angeles Kings in 2011/12. He has already scored more goals than he did in 82 games last season, and looks like a threat on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Nino Niederreiter. He also continues to put his body on the line for the cause:
Justin Williams scores what's got to be the most painful goal in his hockey career. 1-0 Hurricanes: pic.twitter.com/awcZppuy8w
— The Rat Trick (@FanSidedTheRat) February 22, 2019
After starting the season with seven points in the team’s first five games, Williams struggled to score during the Canes’ underwhelming November and December. In the subsequent 21 games after the Canes’ hot start to the season, he posted just three goals and four assists, leading some Canes fans to wonder if age had caught up with him.
It hasn’t – he’s having his best season in years, and if the Carolina Hurricanes make the playoffs, he will surely fancy his chances of posting the six points he needs to become just the 95th person to reach 100 career playoff points.
The Storm Surge was a genius move
As the weeks go by, the Storm Surge is becoming more and more of a talking point amongst the mainstream hockey media and fans on social media. Whether you agree with Don Cherry on his take, or whether you love the Storm Surge and its many incarnations, one thing is for sure – Justin Williams doesn’t get nearly enough credit for this genius move.
No-one could have possibly predicted back in September 2018 that the Storm Surge would have become such an iconic part of the sport. No other team in the NHL has such a positive rapport with its fanbase, and in one fell swoop Justin Williams built a bridge between the players on the ice and the fans in the arena. While every other NHL arena empties out quickly after a win, PNC Arena remains full of Carolina Hurricanes fans, waiting to see how the players will celebrate their latest win.
No matter how this season ends, it has already been a triumph, and a large part is as a result of Justin Williams’ brainwave.
He knows how to win the Stanley Cup
Justin Williams is a legendary playoff performer. Known affectionately as “Mr Game 7”, Williams sports three Stanley Cup rings and a Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP in 2013, when he led the Los Angeles Kings to the Cup. If you’re an NHL General Manager and you want a veteran to guide your younger players through their first playoff experience, how many names would be higher on the list than Justin Williams? Not to mention, no-one performs better in Game 7s than him:
Most Career Goals in Game 7s
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 10, 2017
Justin Williams 7
Glenn Anderson 7
Wayne Gretzky 6
Wendel Clark 6
Jeremy Roenick 6
Trevor Linden 6
It’s not just the fact that Williams has three Stanley Cup rings, however. It’s the fact that one of those was earned as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. Justin Williams was a key member of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup-winning team, playing on the same team as his current Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour. He is the only player on this roster who has seen playoff hockey in Raleigh, and what it means to our fans. His post-season experience could be crucial for the Carolina Hurricanes.
If the Carolina Hurricanes are to make the playoffs, the many contributions of their captain Justin Williams will be key. He has already brought so much to the team, both on and off the ice, and if the Canes do end their playoff drought this season then his playoff experience will be crucial to the team’s hopes of progressing beyond Round 1.
Justin Williams has had a huge impact as captain of the Carolina Hurricanes – we look forward to seeing him continue to do more of the same.