NHL teams
Craig Custance, ESPN Senior Writer 10y

Conn Smythe win still emotional for Justin Williams

NEW YORK -- It was 15 seconds or so before commissioner Gary Bettman shared to the world that Justin Williams was the Conn Smythe winner following the Kings' Stanley Cup-clinching win in Los Angeles.

Kings vice president of communications Mike Altieri pulled Williams aside as he was celebrating on the ice with his teammates and told him not to go too far.

He was about to be named the MVP of the playoffs.

"I instantly almost started to tear up," Williams told ESPN.com on Tuesday. "'Get out of here. Me?'... You get your ovation from your teammates and see how happy they are for you. That was a cool moment for me."

It didn't end there.

This summer, the Conn Smythe trophy was sitting on Williams’ kitchen table and he stared at the engraved names. It was similar to the night he won it in Los Angeles after the Kings' Game 5 win, when he sat at the postgame podium with the trophy in front of him, still a bit in awe that his name would be a part of it. That thrill hasn't worn off.

"I was looking at the names on it and seeing it and just having a surreal experience," Williams said. "It's something I'm honored to have and will always remember."

For the third time in his career, Williams spent a summer celebrating a Stanley Cup win, this time as the playoff MVP. It never gets old.

But with camp opening, his focus is shifting to defending the Cup. He's also in a contract season, playing in the final year of a deal that is a bargain at a cap hit of $3.65 million. A raise is coming, but Williams said talks haven't started yet.

He's in no rush.

"Don't care. It's not something I'm worried about," Williams said. "I signed an extension with Dean [Lombardi] four years ago during the season. If it happens again, fine. ... This is an important year for me. Contract year is a little extra added incentive. I have to do what's best for me and my family."

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