Dave was nicknamed Tiger when he was just five years old, by his minor hockey coach in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Already filled with a fiery enthusiasm for the sport, the forward grew into a dynamic player, standing at 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) and weighing 190 lbs (86 kg) when he signed with Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1974 draft.
Known as an “enforcer” or a “goon” – a strong player whose job is to aggressively respond to, or provoke, violence – Tiger was unrivaled in his ability to commit penalties. He led the league twice in time spent in the ‘box’, with 338 minutes in 1976 – 1977 and 298 in 1978 – 1979.
Notably, Tiger could also score goals, a rarity among the stereotype known for their size and aggression. During his best season in Toronto, he scored 22 goals in 55 games, and in the 1980 – 1981 season, when he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, Williams scored a career high of 35 goals and 62 points. Of course, he also had 343 penalty minutes.
After he’d score, he was known for his flamboyant celebrations, such as throwing one leg over his hockey stick and riding it like a broomstick, racing around the ice and infuriating the opposition, who he’d most-likely bruised only minutes before.
Over the course of his career, Tiger also suited up with the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, and the (now extinct) Hartford Whalers, but Toronto always had his heart – and he became a brand ambassador for the team, touring around the world with them for events after he retired in 1988.
“It’s a game that keeps you young, that keeps the kid in you,” Williams once said to the NHL. “Everybody should play the game as long as they can.”