He was part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams, including two with the Los Angeles Kings, the Hurricanes' opponent on Monday night.
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Williams first joined the Hurricanes in 2004. He helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2006, and he retired with the Canes in 2020.
Williams earned the nickname Mr. Game 7 because he holds the record for most Game 7 points in the National Hockey League.
For a guy who doesn't like a lot of attention, the eyes of 18,000 Caniacs were on Williams on Monday afternoon.
He was full of raw emotion as his former teammates shared heartfelt messages on the video board.
Williams gave thanks to his family, team president and general manager Don Waddell, head coach Rod Brind'Amour and several behind-the-scenes individuals from both the Kings and Canes that helped him have a successful 19-year NHL career.
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Williams left a lasting impact in Raleigh, and he said that the best part about being a Hurricane is the history.
"When the team first came here, it was kind of be the history, and now you want to be part of history," Williams said. "That really says a lot about hockey here in North Carolina."
Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, the Kings proceeded to put a damper on the festivities, snapping an eight-game winless streak by beating the Hurricanes 5-2.
"Hate that we lost that game on Willy's night," Brind'Amour said. "That's going to eat me up for a little while."
The Associated Press contributed.