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EricNCSU · 05-07-2020, 06:59 PM

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650 words - Double Media - Week 1: SHL Legends.

I actually started writing this before I knew Nic was stepping down as STL GM, but this can serve as an accidental honorarium.

Nicholas Williams is a 12 season veteran playing for the New Orleans Specters, but he started his career with the St. Louis Scarecrows. He only played 3 seasons in St. Louis but made a huge impact. A quick glance at the team history and awards page and you’ll see his name listed several times. Of course, the user behind Williams, @Nictox, has a huge presence in the St. Louis locker room. After serving as Co-GM from S46 to S52, Nictox took the reins in S53 and stepped up to the full GM position. I thought it would be interesting as a young Scarecrow to take a look into the career of one of St. Louis’s past (and current) superstars.

S42:

It honestly surprised me a bit to see that Nicholas Williams was a new create. Nictox has the poise of an experienced user with several players under his belt. Nicholas was drafted 41st overall by the St. Louis Scarecrows in the S42 draft. 8 teams in the league at that time, so that was the first pick of the 6th round.

Nicholas has a respectable rookie season, putting up 10 goals, 22 assists and a -1 rating. He scored his first goal in his first game and also scored his first career hat trick that season. Nicholas followed up that performance with a Gold Medal as both a player and Co-GM of Team USA in the S52 World Junior Cup.

S42 wrapped up with St. Louis Team Award for Best Two Way Forward.

S43:

Not surprisingly, Williams made a big splash and moved up the leaderboards. Williams was drafted 22nd overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the S43 SHL Draft. With 14 teams in the league at this time, that was about halfway through the 2nd Round. Quite a jump from the SMJHL draft. Williams was named Captain of the Scarecrows for S43.

Williams nearly doubled his rookie performance with 22 goals, 19 assists and a +8 rating. St. Louis made the playoffs that season, losing in the Four Star Cup finals to the Vancouver Whalers. In 12 playoff games, Williams had 7 goals, 8 assists and a +4 rating. Williams led the Scarecrows in scoring that season, as well as leading all left wingers in the league in scoring. After the season, Williams was once again named Co-GM of Team USA and also Team Captain where he picked up a silver medal in the S43 WJC.
S43 ended with a slew of awards for Williams. St. Louis team awards for Best Forward, Regular Season MVP and Playoff MVP, as well as, SMJHL Awards for MVP (Player Vote), Best Defensive Forward and Playoff Points Leader.

S44:

Now this is where things start to get interesting. Williams again increased his point totals with 18 goals, 29 assists and a +6 rating. In 11 playoffs games Williams put up 6 goals, 8 assists a +6 rating and St. Louis won it all, in one less game than the previous year that saw them lose the finals in 5 games. They swept the Colorado Raptors to take home the hardware. After taking care of business at the Junior level, Williams got called up to Winnipeg for playoff duty. He ended up playing 1 game for Winnipeg in the playoffs, the deciding game 6 and scored a goal, his first in the SHL, as Winnipeg defeated the West Kendall Platoon to hoist the Challenge Cup and Williams earned a Championship at the Junior and SHL levels in the same season.

The S44 Awards piled up as well with team awards for Best Forward, Regular Season MVP and most dedicated as well as SMJHL awards for Playoff Points Leader and Playoffs MVP.

S45 saw Williams get called up to Winnipeg and then in S46 he signed as a free agent with New Orleans, and the rest, as they say, is history.