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 first 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 The 1960 Winter Olympics (officially the VIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Squaw Valley 1960) were a winter multi-sport event held from February 18 to 28, 1960, at the Squaw Valley Resort (now known as Palisades Tahoe) in Squaw Vall ...

in Squaw Valley. He scored one goal and had four assists while playing on the second line with

Bill Christian William David Christian (born January 29, 1938) is an American former ice hockey player. He led the United States to a gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Internatio ...

and Roger Christian.

Professional career

His National Hockey League career began when he joined the Boston Bruins for the

1961–62 NHL season The 1961–62 NHL season was the 45th season of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Toronto Maple Leafs were the Stanley Cup champions as they defeated the Chicago Black Hawks four games to two. League business At a meeting of the owners an ...

. 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. After just two seasons with the Golden Seals, Williams jumped to the World Hockey Association (WHA) to play for the New England Whalers. 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 The 1975–76 NHL season was the 59th season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, defeating the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers in the final. This season also marked the final time that Hockey Night i ...

. He and younger brother

Butch Williams Warren Milton "Butch" Williams (born September 11, 1952 in Duluth, Minnesota) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 108 games in the National Hockey League in 1974–76. He played for the California Golden Seals and St. Louis Blue ...

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 gameshow '' 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 had a negative impact on 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 Robert (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.Shorthanded: The Untold Story of the Seals: Hockey's Most Colorful Team (pp.128-130), by Brad Kurzberg, AuthorHouse (2006),

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

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ESPN Classic - The First Miracle On Ice
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Tom 1940 births 1992 deaths American men's ice hockey right wingers Boston Braves (AHL) players Boston Bruins players California Golden Seals players Ice hockey players from Duluth, Minnesota Ice hockey players at the 1960 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1960 Winter Olympics Minnesota North Stars players New England Whalers players New Haven Nighthawks players Olympic gold medalists for the United States in ice hockey United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Washington Capitals players