Winning three Stanley Cups and producing in the clutch has earned Williams the reputation as one of the best playoff performers in League history.

His penchant for coming through in winner-take-all situations has also earned Williams the moniker of "Mr. Game 7" with an NHL-record 14 points in Game 7s throughout his career. Williams has also scored seven goals in Game 7s to match an NHL record shared with Hockey Hall of Fame member Glenn Anderson.

Williams used that sense of timing during the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs when he helped lead the Los Angeles Kings to a second Stanley Cup title in three seasons. Williams finished that playoff run with nine goals and 25 points, including two goals and five points in three Game 7 victories in the first three rounds.

Throughout his career, the 6-foot-1, 186-pound winger has rarely been the biggest, fastest or most skilled player on his team, even though he was a first-round pick (No. 28) by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 NHL Draft. Instead, Williams has used a savvy knack for positioning and quickness to become a consistent performer no matter where he plays.

A broken hand in his rookie season and a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee in the 2002-03 season slowed his development with the Flyers, and he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 20, 2004.

While with the Hurricanes, Williams started to fulfill some of the expectations of being a first-round pick with back-to-back, 30-goal seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07. In 2006, Williams collected seven goals and 18 points to help lead the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup title. That playoff season started Williams scoring a goal and three points in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, and scoring the clinching empty-net goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers.

Williams suffered another torn ACL and MCL to his left knee on Dec. 20, 2007, and then tore his Achilles tendon on Sept. 17, 2008, which forced him to miss the first two months of the season.

On March 4, 2009, after four-plus seasons with Carolina, Williams was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, where he rekindled his career as a reliable top-nine forward, contributing 103 goals, 266 points and a plus-65 rating in 427 games while contributing to two Stanley Cup championships.

Williams became a free agent after the 2014-15 season and signed with the Washington Capitals. He appeared in his 1,000th career game on April 10, 2016.

Playing for Team Canada on three occasions at the World Championship, Williams won gold medals in 2004 and 2007.