Tom Williams

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs 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 —