Tom Williams (US hockey player)

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Not to be confused with Tom Williams (Canadian hockey player).

For other persons named Tom Williams, see Tom Williams (disambiguation).

Thomas Mark "The Bomber" Williams (April 17, 1940 - February 8, 1992) was the first American ice hockey player to play in the National Hockey League.

Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Williams was a member of the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that defeated Czechoslovakia and won the Gold Medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics.

His National Hockey League career began when he joined the Boston Bruins for the 1961-62 NHL season. After eight seasons with the Bruins, Williams joined the Minnesota North Stars, where he would play for a season and a half until he was traded to the California Golden Seals.

After just two seasons with the Golden Seals, Williams jumped to the World Hockey Association to play for the New England Whalers. Upon his return to the NHL, Williams joined the new expansion team Washington Capitals where he would lead the team in scoring (22 goals, 36 assists), and would be involved in the franchise's first penalty shot on December 5, 1974 against the Buffalo Sabres. Williams retired at the end of the 1975-76 NHL season.

In 1981, Williams was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

He died on February 8, 1992 at the age of 51.