 On the ice, Williams' lone season as team owner was mired in chaos.Despite publicly assuring general manager Phil Esposito and assistant general manager Tony Esposito their jobs were safe, Williams fired them two games into the 1998–99 season, giving head coach Jacques Demers exclusive control of the team's hockey operations as both coach and general manager.The team would record a ten-game losing streak early in the season, all but ending any chance of making the playoffs.