Justin William’s Contributions Among Highlights of Jim Rutherford’s Hall-of-Fame Career
- Updated: November 17, 2019
Photo credit: David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated
TORONTO — It’s another year and another group of deserving candidates celebrating enshrinement into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
From trailblazing paths to rewriting collegiate success to winning Stanley Cups, the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019 had a bit of everything there is to celebrate in the game of hockey.
Photo credit: Ryan Cowley
In the builder’s category, specifically, one inductee made his mark as one of the most successful general managers in the history of the game, still going strong with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
While he had a very respectable 13-year playing career as a goaltender (including 10 games with the Los Angeles Kings), Jim Rutherford elevated his game (pun intended) as an executive, which is what the hockey world is celebrating this weekend.
After beginning his management career in 1984 with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, Rutherford would return to the NHL, joining the Hartford Whalers in 1994 as heir general manager — a post he would hold for 20 years, during which time the franchise would relocate to Raleigh, North Carolina. It was here where the 70-year-old would make his first Finals appearance before winning his first Stanley Cup four years later.
As GM, Rutherford was the architect of the Hurricanes’ rise to the top, helping the club achieve their championship dreams in 2006.
Of the many pieces to Carolina’s Stanley Cup puzzle, Rutherford held one player, in particular, in the highest regard: Mr. Game 7, Justin Williams.
Photo credit: Jamie Kellner
It may be common knowledge to hockey fans, especially Kings fans, as to what Williams had accomplished before joining the silver-and-black but Cobourg, Ont. native’s contributions in 2006 are nonetheless noteworthy — so much so that Mr. Rutherford was still glowing over the veteran 13 years later.
Following Friday’s ring ceremony, I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Rutherford about Justin Williams and his contributions to the Hurricanes not only in 2006 but overall.
“Well, he’s a great team player and he’s a guy that knows how to win,” Rutherford responded matter-of-factly.
Rutherford then continued, reminiscing about the circumstances involving his team’s acquisition of Williams — which occurred on Jan. 20, 2004 — in a move that ultimately helped the up-and-coming Hurricanes get over the top.
“That was an interesting trade [being acquired from the Flyers] because he was a young player in Philadelphia. Philadelphia got in trouble with injuries on defense and they almost got forced to trade a guy they didn’t want to trade. I believe it was Danny Markov that I traded to Philadelphia for Williams, then Williams came in and he was an exceptional player for us.”
Photo credit: Shannon Nelson
That spring, Williams, while not officially known as such at this juncture, would continue to establish himself as “Mr. Game 7”.
Having scored a goal and two assists in his first Game 7 with the Flyers in 2003, Williams would add another goal and two helpers in Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Final, eliminating Ryan Miller and the high-octane Buffalo Sabres. The next round, Williams would score a goal in Game 7 to all but clinch the Stanley Cup for the Hurricanes as they edged the surprising Edmonton Oilers, whose roster included two of No. 14’s future Kings championship teammates: Matt Greene and Jarret Stoll.
While he had already established himself as a reliable force with the Flyers, it was in Carolina where Justin Williams’ career took off, even years when the club didn’t fare as well as they might have hoped. Regardless, no one can deny how integral Jim Rutherford was in the success of Justin Williams in Carolina and even beyond.
Like Williams, though, Rutherford’s success stretched beyond Carolina.
Joining the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014 as the club’s Vice President of Hockey Operations and GM, Rutherford would add crucial pieces to an already-competitive team. Rutherford’s efforts in the Steel City would help the Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups (in 2016 and 2017), becoming the first club to accomplish the feat in 19 years.
Photo credit: Gregory Shamus/NHLI Getty IMages
With his win in 2016, though, Rutherford became the first — and, to date, only — GM in the post-expansion era to win Stanley Cups with two different teams. Just imagine that considering how many successful NHL executives there have been since 1967.
These are just a few of Jim Rutherford’s many achievements in the game of hockey, and this weekend, we celebrate the new Hall-of-Famer’s rightful entry into hockey’s Holiest shrine.
As for Justin Williams, he would prove to be very integral in the Los Angeles Kings’ winning two Stanley Cups in three years. En route, “Mr. Game 7” would strengthen the validity of his moniker, scoring four goals and three assists in four series-deciding games for the Kings, capping it all off with a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2014 as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.
In 2015, Williams would leave the Kings to sign with the Washington Capitals before to Carolina as a free agent in 2018. There, Williams would help the Hurricanes to an unlikely Eastern Finals appearance in 2019, adding another assist in a Game 7, eliminating the defending Cup champions, the aforementioned Capitals.
While he hasn’t officially retired, Justin Williams has taken a break from the game following the 2019 postseason. If he were to retire today, the former King would do so with 312 goals and 474 points for 786 points in 1244 regular-season games. As for his playoff numbers, Williams tallied 40 goals and 101 assists in 155 games. A future consideration for the Hall of Fame? We shall see.
He may no longer play for the Kings but Justin Williams — and for good reason — remains a fan favourite in southern California to this day, and of the many positive influences for Williams, everyone would be remiss if they did not give thanks to Jim Rutherford.
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