WILLIAMS OUT TO PROVE NHL SCOUTS ALL WRONG
Oil Kings winger has chip on his shoulder after being passed over in last year’s draft
Josh Williams was hoping to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft this past summer, but didn’t hear his name called.
Now, the Edmonton Oil Kings winger is determined that won’t happen again next summer.
Williams, 18, is off to a great start this season with five goals and 12 points in 12 games after Friday’s 5-1 win over the Rebels in Red Deer.
The Langley, B.C., product is second in team scoring and is helping fill the void left by the departure of the Oil Kings’ top three scorers last season. He scored his fifth goal of the season on Friday against the Rebels. Riley Sawchuk, Jalen Luypen, Vladimir Alistrov, and Matthew Robertson also scored for the Oil Kings.
“I’m always happy to contribute, but more important, the team is off to a really good start,” Williams said. “I’m glad I’ve been able to contribute to that, and I think team success is always a good start for me.”
A fifth-round pick of the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, Williams was projected to be a 2018 NHL Draft selection, selected to play for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup prior to the start of last season.
He was traded to the Oil Kings midway through the year after scoring 11 goals and collecting 20 points in 47 games with Medicine Hat.
Williams went on to score five goals and collect 12 points in 25 games for the Oil Kings before adding two goals and six points in 15 playoff games.
Williams, like most highend 17-year-olds in the league, was under the microscope last season, which may have affected his play. He admitted having his draft year out of the way, even if he wasn’t selected, has taken some stress off this year.
“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “I think it’s not in the back of your mind any more, even not being drafted and my draft year not going the way I wanted it to. It gives you a little bit more motivation, you have a little chip on your shoulder and you want to prove people wrong and have a good year this year.”
Williams prepared hard this past summer to have a solid season with the Oil Kings. He spent a lot of time working on improving his puck skills and also concentrated on his conditioning.
“I didn’t think my conditioning was great at the end of last year,” Williams said. “So I really focused on that this summer. I wanted to play more minutes this year, and in order to do that, I had to be in better condition, and so I focused a lot on it this year.”
Williams proved to be a valuable addition to the Oil Kings last year, helping to dispatch the Tigers in the first round of the playoffs on their way to the Eastern Conference Final. The Oil Kings ended a two-year playoff drought last season and won a playoff series for the first time since winning the Memorial Cup in 2014.
With their win in Red Deer, the Oil Kings improved to 8-1-3 on the season. They’re in a battle for top spot in the Central Division standings with Medicine Hat.
Williams has been a big factor in the Oil Kings’ success so far.
“He’s come back with a lot more confidence, he’s playing the game with a lot more detail. He’s shooting the puck, he’s doing those little things that make you successful, and it’s good to see,” said Oil Kings head coach Brad Lauer.
The Oil Kings traded forward Brett Kemp to acquire Williams in January. At the time, Kemp, who was a year older, had 22 goals and 39 points in 40 games for the Oil Kings. Yet, the team wanted to add another 17-yearold scorer and Williams seemed a good fit.
“I think last year, being a draft year, I think Josh might have been caught up in that after the Hlinka tournament,” Lauer said. “Those draft years put a lot of pressure on individuals, and I think this summer was a good summer for him. I think getting through the draft and not being selected, he has something to prove this year, and I think he’s off to a good start to show people that he is someone to consider.”
I’m always happy to contribute, but more important, the team is off to a really good start.