Fred Williams (ice hockey)
| Fred Williams | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
July 1, 1956 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Detroit Red Wings | ||
| NHL Draft | 4th overall, 1976 Detroit Red Wings |
||
| WHA Draft | 26th overall, 1976 New England Whalers |
||
| Playing career | 1976–1982 | ||
Frederick Richard "Freddy" Williams (born July 1, 1956 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) is a retired professional ice hockey centre. He was drafted in the 1st round (4th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1976 NHL draft and 26th overall in the third round of the World Hockey Association draft, by the Hartford Whalers. Williams played in only 44 games at the NHL level. He is the older brother of former NHL player Gord Williams.
An explosive skater with outstanding stick-handling skill, Fred Williams began his career towards the pro ranks as a 15-year-old in major junior hockey in the Western Canada Hockey League as a centre for his hometown Saskatoon Blades in the 1971–72 season. It was unusual for players of Williams' age to play in the major junior ranks in particular because of size and experience of older players who were ultimately seeking draft positions in the NHL or at the time, the World Hockey Association. However, Williams, being younger than the majority of players he played with and against, had unusual skill and size for his age, and made the Saskatoon Blades roster after his first training camp. Despite this, Williams had mediocre statistics in his first two seasons in the WCHL with only 41 points in a 121 games. However, in the following three seasons as he became a more experienced player, Williams would score 36, 70, and 118 points. His efforts guided the Saskatoon Blades to two trips to the playoffs, driving the Blades to the league finals two years in a row, with 63 total playoff points over 37 games. Interestingly, despite having some marquee players that season, Saskatoon would not win the championship and to this day, still have not won a WHL championship cup. During the 1975-76 WCHL season, Williams was one of the top assist getters in the WCHL with 87, only behind the likes of top players such as Bernie Federko who would go on to illustrious success in the NHL ranks. During his draft year, Williams' excellent skating ability, his solid hockey sense and a consistent scoring touch, he attracted the attention of the Detroit Red Wings, who opted to draft Williams as their first round pick, fourth to be selected overall, in the 1976 NHL draft. The same year, the World Hockey Association's Hartford Whalers drafted Williams 26th overall, in the third round of their draft. Interestingly, the disparity between the NHL's Red Wings' and the WHA's Whalers' draft positions for Williams would guide him to accept a contract offer and an almost guaranteed roster spot on the Red Wings for the 1976-77 NHL season.
...
Wikipedia