Williams was talented enough to play in the Detroit area’s elite Honeybaked, Little Caesars and Compuware youth hockey programs.
He went on to play for Ferris State University, a Division I program in Big Rapids, Michigan, where he was 5-8-1 with a 3.01 goals-against average, .889 save percentage and one shutout from 2012-16.
Feeling he had unfinished business in the net, Williams transferred to Canisius, and things took off. He went 21-7-5 with a 1.82 GAA, .943 save percentage and six shutouts in 2016-17.
He led the nation in save percentage and shutouts; ranked second in goals against average (minimum 30 games), fifth in saves (1,016) and seventh in shots faced (1,077) on the way to earning Hobey Baker and Richter award finalist honors.
“I think a lot about my time at Ferris State, where I didn’t play as much, and how much that really helped me going on to play pro hockey,” Williams said. “Canisius was an amazing season and what they did for my career is unbelievable.
“But just thinking about the time at Ferris and all those practices where you were working so hard and just putting your head down and sticking with it. … I wasn’t playing but I was still working hard every day, come in like a pro every day with the mindset of, like, ‘I’m going to get better today, I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can.’ I didn’t want to take any days off or miss any optional (skates).”
It’s the same approach Williams is taking in trying to spread hockey around Jacksonville and North Florida.
“I just feel like this is exactly where I’m supposed to be, this is home,” he said. “I think it’s great to be here at this level here, where we can really introduce a new community to it, and just grow it.”