Playing Career
Williams was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Detroit Red Wings on September 18, 2000. He played the first few years with Detroit's minor league affiliates in the American Hockey League (the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and the Grand Rapids Griffins). In 2001–02, he played 25 games with the Red Wings and scored his first career NHL goal. Williams would also suit up for the Red Wings in 9 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup championship.
When NHL play was halted due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Williams played overseas in the SM-liiga with Porin Ässät. Returning to the Wings in 2005–06 under new head coach Mike Babcock, Williams broke out with 21 goals and 58 points, frequently playing on a line with Steve Yzerman and Robert Lang. On October 22, 2005, Williams notched his first career hat trick in a 6–0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. All three goals came in the first period of that game; it was the first time Red Wings player scored three times in a single period since Darren McCarty's hat trick in the third period of game one against the Colorado Avalanche in the 2002 Western Conference Finals.
Following Williams' breakout season, he re-signed with Detroit on a new two-year deal worth $3.2 million. On November 8, 2006, during a game against the Edmonton Oilers, Williams was injured when he was checked from behind the net by Raffi Torres, causing his head to hit the ice. Williams was taken off the ice on a stretcher and taken to Detroit Medical Center. He was released from the hospital on November 9 with facial lacerations and a first-degree concussion. The Red Wings put him on the injured reserve list, causing him to miss a minimum of 10 days. According to the Red Wings, he never lost consciousness. Later that season, Williams was sent to the Chicago Blackhawks on February 26, 2007, in a three-way trade that also included the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers received a 3rd round draft pick and Lasse Kukkonen from the Blackhawks in exchange for Kyle Calder; in turn, the Blackhawks sent Calder to the Red Wings in exchange for Williams.
After a 36-point season in 43 games with Chicago, Williams became an unrestricted free agent and was signed by the Atlanta Thrashers on July 13, 2008, to a one-year, $2.2 million deal. On January 14, 2009, Williams was traded by the Thrashers to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Clay Wilson and a 6th round draft pick. WIlliams performed well with Columbus, scoring 12 goals to go with 17 assists for the remainder of the 2008-09 NHL Season as the Blue Jackets qualified for the playoffs for the first time in their history. Williams and the Blue Jackets were swept in the first round by Williams' former team, the Detroit Red Wings.
Read more about this topic: Jason Williams (ice Hockey)
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