Tom Williams (ice hockey, born 1940)
American ice hockey player (1940 – 1992)
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Thomas Mark "Tommy, The Bomber" Williams (April 17, 1940 – February 8, 1992) was an American professional ice hockey player. A good skater and shooter, he received his nickname due to an incident in the early 1970s when he joked with Toronto customs officials that his bag contained a bomb (he was suspended for one game by the NHL as punishment). During most of the 1960s, Williams was the only regular American player in the NHL.
| Tom Williams | ||||||||||||||
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| Born |
April 17, 1940 | |||||||||||||
| Died |
February 8, 1992 (aged 51) Hudson, Massachusetts, U.S. | |||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | |||||||||||||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | |||||||||||||
| Position | Right wing | |||||||||||||
| Shot | Right | |||||||||||||
| Played for |
Boston Bruins Minnesota North Stars California Golden Seals New England Whalers Washington Capitals | |||||||||||||
| National team |
 United States | |||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1960–1976 | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Amateur career
Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Williams was a member of the U.S. Olympic hockey team that defeated Czechoslovakia and won the gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. He scored one goal and had four assists while playing on the second line with Bill Christian and Roger Christian.[1]
Professional career
His National Hockey League career began when he joined the Boston Bruins for the 1961–62 NHL season. After eight seasons with the Bruins (and a serious injury in 1968 that almost ended his career), he joined the Minnesota North Stars, where he played for a season and a half until he was traded to the California Golden Seals. He scored a career-high 67 points in 1969-70 with Minnesota, playing on the North Stars top line with Bill Goldsworthy and Jean-Paul Parise.[2]
After just two seasons with the Golden Seals, Williams jumped to the World Hockey Association (WHA) to play for the New England Whalers, where he was a part of the first Avco World Trophy given out as the Whalers won the trophy in the 1973 WHA playoffs; Williams had six goals and eleven assists in the playoffs. Upon his return to the NHL, he joined the new expansion team Washington Capitals, led the team in scoring (22 goals, 36 assists), and was awarded the franchise's first penalty shot on December 5, 1974, against the Buffalo Sabres. He retired during the 1975–76 NHL season.
He and his younger brother Butch Williams were the first American brothers to play in the NHL.
Post-career
In 1981, Williams was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
He made an appearance on the American game show I've Got a Secret, in which his secret was (at the time, in early 1966) that he was the only American-born player in major professional hockey.[3]
Personal life
Williams' life was marred by personal tragedies that also harmed his playing career. In November 1970 his wife was found dead in a car; it was never determined for certain whether her death was due to accident or suicide. Normally a happy-go-lucky free spirit, he became moody and fought with North Stars manager Jack Gordon, who suspended him before trading him to the Seals. After he had retired from hockey, remarried, and found a new career, his 23-year-old son Bobby Williams (a Boston Bruins prospect) died in 1987. Williams himself died of a heart attack in Hudson, Massachusetts on February 8, 1992, at the age of 51.[4][5]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1957–58 | Central High School | HS-MN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | United States National Team | Intl | 50 | 21 | 12 | 33 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | United States National Team | Intl | — | 21 | 17 | 38 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960–61 | Kingston Frontenacs | EPHL | 51 | 16 | 26 | 42 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1961–62 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 26 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1961–62 | Kingston Frontenacs | EPHL | 36 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962–63 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 69 | 23 | 20 | 43 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963–64 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 37 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 65 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1965–66 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 70 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 29 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 68 | 18 | 32 | 50 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1968–69 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 26 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 75 | 15 | 52 | 67 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1970–71 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 41 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 18 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 33 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | Boston Braves | AHL | 31 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 1972–73 | New England Whalers | WHA | 69 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 2 | ||
| 1973–74 | New England Whalers | WHA | 70 | 21 | 37 | 58 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1974–75 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 73 | 22 | 36 | 58 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 34 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | New Haven Nighthawks | AHL | 20 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| WHA totals | 139 | 31 | 58 | 89 | 20 | 19 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 12 | ||||
| NHL totals | 663 | 161 | 269 | 430 | 177 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | United States | WC | 8 | 7 | 2 | 9 | — | |
| 1960 | United States | OLY | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | |
| Totals | 15 | 11 | 8 | 19 | — | |||