Detroit Red Wings Williams was signed as an undrafted free agent by the
Detroit Red Wings on September 18, 2000. He played the first few seasons with Detroit's minor league affiliates in the
American Hockey League, the
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and the
Grand Rapids Griffins. In
2001–02, he played 25 games with the Red Wings and scored his first career NHL goal. Williams would also suit up for the Red Wings in nine playoff games en route to a
Stanley Cup championship. When NHL play was halted due to the
2004–05 NHL lockout, Williams played overseas in the
SM-liiga with
Porin Ässät. Returning to the Wings in
2005–06 under new head coach
Mike Babcock, Williams broke out with 21 goals and 58 points, frequently playing on a line with
Steve Yzerman and
Robert Lang. On October 22, 2005, Williams notched his first career
hat trick in a 6–0 win over the
Columbus Blue Jackets. All three goals came in the first period of that game; it was the first time Red Wings player scored three times in a single period since
Darren McCarty's hat trick in the third period of game one against the
Colorado Avalanche in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Following Williams' breakout season, he re-signed with Detroit on a new two-year deal worth $3.2 million. On November 8, 2006, during a game against the
Edmonton Oilers, Williams was injured when he was checked from behind the net by
Raffi Torres, causing his head to hit the ice. Williams was taken off the ice on a stretcher and taken to
Detroit Medical Center. He was released from the hospital on November 9 with facial lacerations and a first-degree
concussion. The Red Wings put him on the injured reserve list, causing him to miss a minimum of 10 days. According to the Red Wings, he never lost consciousness.
Chicago Blackhawks Later that season, Williams was sent to the
Chicago Blackhawks on February 26, 2007, in a three-way trade that also included the
Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers received a third round draft pick and
Lasse Kukkonen from the Blackhawks in exchange for
Kyle Calder; in turn, the Blackhawks sent Calder to the Red Wings in exchange for Williams. He scored twice in his first return to Joe Louis Arena as a member of the Blackhawks.
Atlanta Thrashers/Columbus Blue Jackets After a 36-point season in 43 games with Chicago, Williams became an
unrestricted free agent and was signed by the
Atlanta Thrashers on July 13, 2008, to a one-year, $2.2 million deal. On January 14, 2009, Williams was traded by the Thrashers to the Columbus Blue Jackets for
Clay Wilson and a sixth round draft pick. Williams performed well with Columbus, scoring 12 goals and 17 assists for the remainder of the
2008–09 season as the Blue Jackets qualified for the playoffs for the first time in their history. Williams and the Blue Jackets were swept in the first round by Williams' former team, the Detroit Red Wings. ,
January 2010.
Return to Detroit On August 6, 2009, Williams returned as a free agent to the Red Wings after signing a one-year contract. On November 7, 2009 in a game against the
Toronto Maple Leafs, Williams suffered a fractured
fibula, and missed several weeks with the injury. On January 29, 2010, Williams was activated off of injured reserve from his injury. He scored a powerplay goal in his first game back from injury against the
Nashville Predators, a 4-2 Red Wings victory.
Remaining professional career On December 27, 2010, Williams was signed as a free agent by the
New York Rangers and played for their AHL affiliate, the
Connecticut Whale. On February 11, 2011, he was released from his PTO with the Whale. Williams was then signed as a free agent by the
Dallas Stars on February 12, 2011, for the remainder of the season. On July 26, 2011, he signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $600,000 with the
Pittsburgh Penguins. Williams was assigned to AHL affiliate, the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, for the majority of the
2011–12 season, however was recalled to produce a goal and assist in an eight-game stint with Pittsburgh. With limited NHL interest in 2012, Williams opted to resume his career in Europe, agreeing to a two-year contract with the Swiss club,
HC Ambrì-Piotta of the
National League A. Over two seasons, with Ambri, Williams became entrenched in a top scoring line role, contributing with 64 points in 79 games. . Williams opted to return to North America following the completion of his contract in Switzerland, to sign a one-year free agent contract with the
Oklahoma City Barons of the AHL on July 25, 2014. In the
2014–15 season, Williams provided the Barons with a veteran presence and leadership while showing no loss of his offensive touch with 53 points in 72 games. On July 16, 2015, Williams made another return to Europe in signing with his first German club,
Kölner Haie of the
DEL, on a one-year deal. He sustained a back injury in pre-season and played only nine games during the 2015–16 season. In late October 2016, he signed a short-term deal with Italian side
Ritten Sport. Williams was instrumental in helping the team reach the
IIHF Continental Cup final four, tallying three goals and three assists in three games. He also scored three goals and assisted on one more in two
Alps Hockey League contests for Ritten. In December 2016, Williams moved to the UK to sign for the
Nottingham Panthers. Williams has since had spells with
Allan Cup Hockey (ACH) sides
Brantford Blast and
Dundas Real McCoys. ==Personal life==