Winning the Stanley Cup is all about fulfilling the dreams of youth. Justin Williams has already done it once, when he won the Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, and now he’s going for it again with the Kings. As noted a few days ago, Williams played junior hockey under New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer for the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League in the late 1990s. Longtime Whalers director of communications Pete Krupsky passed along the following item about Williams, as well as a great picture from Williams’ junior days. Check it out, along with a more current picture. It’s neat to see how similar Williams’ facial expressions are. Also, DeBoer talked about his junior days with Williams…
DEBOER: “I was actually telling Lou (Lamoriello) that story. I drafted him in the sixth round at a Junior C in, I believe, Cobourg, Ontario, which is outside Belleville. Kid came in and didn’t make our team the first year. We put him down on the tier-two team. He just kept hanging around. You could tell he was a good hockey player, but was about 150 pounds. Had a great heart. Good story. Next year, came back to camp, played for one year for me, was a first-round pick, never saw him again. He stepped right into Philadelphia. Great story of perseverance. Got a lot of time for Justin.”
Whalers alum Justin Williams plays for second Stanley Cup
So very cute
Go Kings Go!
Thanks so much Rich really do appreciate it on our boys
Go Kings Go!
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:52 pm
@Gail Web, Almost as cute as Tomas Sandstrom!
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Gail Web Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 7:31 pm
@Duncanz, For sure thanks
Go Kings Go!
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I believe JW’s hockey smarts have helped Kopi develop into a better player. JW has looked a step slower now than last season and seems to have trouble getting to pucks quickly in the open ice. When he was younger he was faster, more recently quicker rather than fast but lately just seems a bit slow.
He’s helped the Kings become a better team so it would be nice to see him get a couple of goals here in the final and hoist the cup again.
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cromartee Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:56 pm
@Crown Royal,
Unless it’s the first step, I doubt he is slower than last year or any other year because if one is working out intensely at his age, and barring changes in the body (like I suppose what could happen with a long layoff due to a shoulder injury), it should be hard to get slower. He may look slower and that could have to do with muscle changes in the legs. But maybe he’s gotten muscle bound (not Justin ?) and he has mostly slow twitch muscles. I doubt if teams release stats on the speed of players but I wish they would.
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EllieMurray Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 6:35 pm
@cromartee, Considering he’s had surgery on both ACL and MCL on his left leg twice, and also tore his achilles tendon in his right leg, it may just be a matter of things catching up with him.
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cromartee Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 10:42 pm
@EllieMurray,
ahhhh …, I didn’t know all that. Thanks for the info. Those things could be a factor especially if there is any lingering pain.
EllieMurray Reply:
June 2nd, 2012 at 5:35 am
@cromartee, For what it’s worth, I can get you a little bit of data on speed.
When Williams played in Philly, Gagne was generally considered the fastest skater and competed in the superskills competition at one of the All-Star games(lost to Gaborik iirc).
On the other hand, Williams was the fastest mile runner on the team, which means he was faster than Gagne over a distance. Sometimes I’ve seen that in his skating. He gets moving fairly quickly, partly because he almost never stops, but at a sprint he’s not all that fast. End to end on the other hand he seems to make it there with time on his side.
Unfortunately, that’s from 2003-04, so he had only had the one knee surgery at that point.
I think sometimes he’s a deceptive skater. He just doesn’t look like he’s moving that fast and suddenly he’s just where he wanted to be. He doesn’t really have to be all that fast as long as he’s slippery. =)
Wow, if I saw a pic of that without the story I would of had no idea it was Willams.
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:51 pm
@KC23,
Just came in to say exactly the same thing!!
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KingTrojan Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:52 pm
@KC23, If anyone, it looks like Brown, maybe?
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:58 pm
@KingTrojan, Thought it was Bure at first.
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:58 pm
@KingTrojan, Thought it was Bure at first.
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That’s him? Wow.
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Hey, so I reserved 2 tickets to game 3 for my friend and I and there was a miscommunication and they sold my friends ticket! :[ So now I am going alone and my friend is left out in the cold after I fer sured him a ticket.
If anyone’s got a single seater they are trying to get rid of let me know. I can give you cash at the game for it.
Yes I know try StuhHub and The Exchange as well. It’s not like I have never tried to get a ticket before like many of you know. . . .
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:54 pm
@Subby, “I love you, Ticket Oak!”
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Subby Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:01 pm
@Subby, Got it. Thanks!
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Lake Forest Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:20 pm
@Subby, tickethuboakexchange.com
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Maybe DeBoer taught JW the art of the no-look pass.
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:59 pm
@JackKentCooke, De Braille pass!
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JackKentCooke Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:06 pm
@Duncanz,
Another Slam Duncanz.
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The only Williams cooler than Justin is maybe Billy Dee.
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JackKentCooke Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:11 pm
@King Alex,
Did forget the Splendid Splinter-Ted
Vanessa?
Tennessee?
Andy?
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JackKentCooke Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:50 pm
@JackKentCooke,
Just remembered my favorite- Walt “No Neck” Williams
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I have always thought JW was awesome and its his hockey sense that allowed Kopitar, Smythe, and Brown to score on the first line. He feels the game and goes to or passes to the right areas. He is slower but has eyes on the back of his head!
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what does “got a lot of time for Justin” mean?
speaking of pictures of them as youngsters, anyone catch the interview of Kopi before game 1 that they aired on NHLNetwork yesterday? It was a sit down with some dude I’ve never seen before and they’re talking about Kopi’s transition from Slovenia to LA and the flash this picture of Kopi sporting a Slovenian sweater… he looked no older then 16! priceless!!! bags weren’t as heavy as they are now… TM must’ve had something to do with that!!! LOL
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Pili Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@Stuart, I took it to mean that Williams made a large impression on him.
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SLIM Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:39 pm
@Stuart,
Yeah…
What does that mean..
Seems to be words missing there….
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:42 pm
@Stuart,
A high regard. A lot of respect.
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:46 pm
I thought it was a pretty common phrase, actually …
“I’ve got a lot of time for Bob & Jim.”, “I haven’t got a lot of time for Doc or Brian.”, for example..
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Stuart Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:50 pm
@Duncanz, never heard the idiom…
dodgervern Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 7:50 pm
@Duncanz, Williams is a true sportsman and a humble team guy.Ya have to respect the guy even though it seems like he disappears at times and then suddenly he makes an awesome pass or gets off an impossible shot at goal.I say his play is “GOOD AS GOLD,mate and I know exactly what you mean.I got a lotta time for his play as well!GO KINGS,GO!!!
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 8:23 pm
@dodgervern,
Cheers mate!
Good as gold!
The NHL Network – all NJ, all the time.
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trytodethroneus Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:28 pm
@DesertKing,
What flavor of kool-aid are they featuring today?
They are currently out of these flavors:
Green Men Pee (vancouver)
Broom Sweep Blue (st louis)
Coyote Dung Brown (phoenix)
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DesertKing Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:44 pm
@trytodethroneus,
Cherry Red Devil Love
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trytodethroneus Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:19 pm
@DesertKing,
I was thinking more along the lines of “Time of the Month Red”
and if the KINGS win it all–”Le Coupe de Stanley Champagne”
Pili Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:45 pm
@trytodethroneus, That is perfect LOL, with one comment; the Blues at least were gracious.
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trytodethroneus Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:15 pm
@Pili,
That’s why I kept it somewhat civil.
Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:49 pm
@DessertKing,
It’s the Kings’ fault for not having a profile on the East Coast.
Even Barry says “An-zay” …
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Finesse Hockey Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:16 pm
@Duncanz,
I would like to be the first to apply for the official Kings Ambassador to the East Coast — a new position with AEG. Salary Negotiable, benefits travel with the team and Glass Seats.
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 8:21 pm
@Finesse Hockey,
You’ll be needing an Asst EC Ambassador, of course!
Every top exec has an offsider.
vplaza Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:19 pm
@Duncanz,
Well, Barry also says “Kovalchook”.
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LB Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 5:03 pm
@vplaza, that’s actually the correct pronounciation in Russian…not sure if Barry knows that however.
bbb7 Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 5:09 pm
@DesertKing, It’s funny cause on the Devils blogs they are saying they’re tired of always hearing about the Kings, so maybe it’s a matter of point of view. Either way, I can’t see how any fans of either team can complain they havent been reading/hearing enough about their boys.
GKG!
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Another 1st round draft pick that the Flyers and many of their fans had no patience for. Cast off as injury prone and an underachiever. The dude came back from ACL/MCL tears in a fraction of the time any normal athlete would require, but again, the Flyers dump the heart that Deboer saw for a defenseman that only lasted like two more seasons in the NHL, while Willy went on to win a cup with Brindamour. See a pattern?
I am so sick of Flyers fans here acting like the Flyers should get credit for the Kings success. I’ve begun calling the Flyers the Kings’ farm team. Its not even an east/west thing. The Flyers have “potential.” The Kings are in the final. Choke on it Holmgren.
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EllieMurray Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 6:40 pm
@Phoolish GM, Holmgren really isn’t the one who killed the Flyers. Clarke constantly traded away the future for a false hope. He picked Lindros over Brind’Amour and we saw how that turned out.
When Brindy got dealt, I started to get p.o.’ed. When Williams followed, I changed teams. Holmgren has a ways to go to bring me back into the fold. Until then I’ll keep wearing my Hurricanes jersey to Flyers games.
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Watched the Yotes game 5 again…
Thing I noticed again was…
Kings played way more intense then Jersey game….
Carter was a big factor in that game…Little things
Scuderi showing his experience with DD..
King played better that game compared to Jersey game..
Quick looked more vulnerable….
And other things I’ve already forgotten from 3 hours ago…Older memory…Not as good.
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:59 pm
@SLIM,
Coach DS totally pulled his punches in Game 1.
In a way, he was toying with NJD trying to draw them out of themselves.
PDB is a great tactical mind too, though.
He was having none of it and figured his own cautious approach would lead to a winning chance for one of his superstars.
Unfortunatley for him, their golden oppos fell to depth players and our one landed at Kopi’s feet/stick, courtesy of DMFD & J Dub!
That was the difference in Game 1.
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:59 pm
@SLIM,
Coach DS totally pulled his punches in Game 1.
In a way, he was toying with NJD trying to draw them out of themselves.
PDB is a great tactical mind too, though.
He was having none of it and figured his own cautious approach would lead to a winning chance for one of his superstars.
Unfortunatley for him, their golden oppos fell to depth players and our one landed at Kopi’s feet/stick, courtesy of DMFD & J Dub!
That was the difference in Game 1.
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vplaza Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:17 pm
@Duncanz,
I’m seeing double the Duncanz today for some reason.
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Drove from outside of Toronto for game one (about 8 hours) witth my 7 year old. Got to the game and went down to watch the warm up. A gentleman got Williams to flick a puck over the glass for my little guy, who was absolutely estatic. After the game ran into the same guy again who offered to get the puck autographed. Turned out it was Justin’s dad. He got us down to meet the players and get his puck signed by Justin. Justin was truly a class act and took time to talk to my little guy. Penner, Stoll, and Quick (among others) took the time to pose for a pic and ask my son questions. Justin and his dad truly made the trip to Newark the best possible memory one could hope for. Eternally grateful Justin! Now DD on the other hand..
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Stuart Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:53 pm
@Alton, wow, that is a rally nice story! class acts all around! and they say, apples don’t fall far from the tree! Good on the Williams’!
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Williams4485 Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:56 pm
@Alton, awesome story!
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vplaza Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:19 pm
@Alton,
Very cool! I always figured JW to be pretty down to earth.
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SayDaysAgo Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 8:07 pm
@Alton, What happened with DD?
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JW’s numbers may not have been that great this year and he certainly seems to have lost a bit of his shot, but he has always worked hard and looked like he is giving it his all. He is making some deft passes out there and giving the defenders fits with his possession game. He’s really drawing attention away from his teammates and helping them get open for quality scoring chances. 12pts in 15 playoff games. That’s pretty clutch.
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“It’s neat to see how similar Williams’ facial expressions are.”….to himself??
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we love you JW! you deserve a lot of credit for our success…
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Interesting, when I play hockey and I carry the stick along using one hand it’s usually on the right being right handed. JW carries it on his left, but that’s why he’s in the NHL and I’m not. LOL!!!!
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Ezra Reply:
June 2nd, 2012 at 1:52 am
@rogiesbackup, If you shoot right, your left hand is at the top so you carry it with your left hand. If you shoot left, your right hand is at the top so you carry it with your right hand.
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I own that game-worn Whalers jersey.
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