After an impressive 53-point season for the Carolina Hurricanes last year, forward Justin Williams announced he was going to take some time away from the game to ponder his future. Considering he is 38 years old, many thought this could be the end of his career, although he did clarify he had not yet retired.
Fast forward to January 8th, the Hurricanes announced they would be bringing the veteran back for the remainder of the season. Despite being very productive the previous season, there were questions surrounding Williams. Some wondered how a 38-year-old who took nearly 8 months off would be able to keep up in the very fast-paced NHL.
Although it is a small sample size, Williams looked phenomenal in his return Sunday against the New York Islanders. In 13:06 minutes of ice time, Williams recorded three shots on net, one hit and one blocked shot. More importantly, Williams showed he still has that clutch gene he's always been known for when he scored the shootout winner.
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After netting the shootout winner, Williams celebrated the win in classic Carolina Hurricanes style.
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Williams and his teammates will be back at it again on Tuesday night versus the Winnipeg Jets, where they will look to try and hold on to their current playoff spot. As of now, they sit in the second wild card spot but have the Philadelphia Flyers just one point behind them. It remains to be seen how effective Williams will be for the rest of the season, but it couldn't have started out much better for him or his team.
