Brian Williams leaving his mark on the Tri-City Americans

Brian Williams might not be that player who will be talked about 20 years from now like Carey Price or Brendan Shinnimin, but the Tri-City Americans forward will leave his mark in the team’s record book for years to come.

The 5-foot-8, 178-pound Williams is ranked eighth all time in games played with 281. If he plays in all 47 remaining games this season, he will finish fifth at 328, one game behind No. 4 Ian McDonald.

“There was no way I thought I would have cracked the top 10 all time,” said Williams, who is in his fifth and final season with the Americans. “Now that I know that, it’s pretty awesome. I never thought I’d do it, but I’m happy to be a part of it.”

The fact that Williams, 20, ended up with the Americans is a story in itself.

The Claremont, Calif., native was drafted in the eighth round of the 2010 Western Hockey League bantam draft (173rd overall). He was the first native Californian taken by Tri-City in the bantam draft since Jason Beeman in 2001 (second round). His stock fell after he expressed interest in playing NCAA hockey.

But Americans general manager Bob Tory took a chance on Williams, who played for the LA Selects Midget U16 club with former Tri-City goalie Eric Comrie. The pair led the LA Selects to a semifinal berth in the 2011 National Championship Midget U16 Tournament before falling to silver medalist Shattuck St. Mary’s.

“I was on the fence, of course,” Williams said of considering the college route. “But once I got up here and saw what it was all about, I was sold.”

Williams and Comrie played four years together with the Americans before Comrie jumped to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

“Last year was 10 years we had played together,” Williams said of Comrie. “It’s like I lost a brother, a piece of my family. He’s off doing bigger and better things, and I’m happy for him.”

While Comrie has moved on, Williams is leaving his mark on the Americans.

In addition to climbing the ladder in games played, Williams is tied for 25th overall in points scored with 170. He is three points behind Steve McNutt, four behind Connor Rankin, Mike Hurley and Chad Cabana, and 10 back of Mark Hurley.

Williams’ 86 goals rank 18th all time, tied with Blake Evans. He is two goals behind Colton Yellow Horn.

“Those are household Tri-City names,” Williams said. “To be a part of that list means a lot to me.”

During Williams’ rookie season, he played on a team that featured Shinnimin, Adam Hughesman, Patrick Holland and Justin Feser. They won the U.S. Division title with 104 points before losing in the Western Conference finals to the Portland Winterhawks. Williams is the lone player on this year’s team who had a hand in earning that banner.

“It’s probably one of the best years of my life,” said Williams, who had eight goals and 15 assists in 62 games that season. “I always tell stories up to this day, how everything was, the whole life of that year, how things are different from now and then. I’m trying to bring some of that winning mentality back to this team.

“Looking back, I can say I’m fortunate to have played with a lot of good players and played against a lot of good players. I’m happy to have been a part of that.”

The Americans have struggled with injuries this season and are 9-15-1-0 going into Friday night’s home game against the Spokane Chiefs.

“I think we need to play a full game,” Williams said. “We’ve been playing in spurts. We need to string together some wins, and I think that comes from playing a full game.”

Tri-City coach Mike Williamson believes Williams can help turn the season around.

“The experience he brings is invaluable,” Williamson said. “He is a dynamic player. When he skates and moves his feet with energy, he is dangerous. We need him to be at the top of his game more often.”

Williams will try and make the most of this season because when it’s over, so are his days of wearing an Americans jersey.

“I don’t even want to think about that yet,” Williams said. “This has become a second home for me. I know all the streets by heart. I know where everything is. The fact I will be leaving at the end of the year is really weird. I can’t even fathom it now.”

This story was originally published November 26, 2015 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Brian Williams leaving his mark on the Tri-City Americans."