Ward was born in North York, Ontario, to Cecilia, who worked as a nurse, and the late Randal Ward, who worked as an automotive mechanic.[1] Both of his parents emigrated to Canada from Barbados. As a youth, Ward played in the 1994 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from North York.[2] He also has two older brothers who played hockey in their youth.[3]
Awarded Rookie of the Year and the Panthers' three-time MVP while earning a degree in Sociology in his four-year collegiate career,[6] Ward was invited to the Minnesota Wild's training camp in 2006. In his first full professional season, he was assigned to the Wild's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros, signing his first professional contract for the entirety of the 2005–06 season.
After impressing Wild management with his work ethic, Ward earned a two-year contract with Minnesota on September 27, 2006.[7] He debuted in 11 NHL games with the Wild during the 2006–07 season, but spent his time primarily with the Aeros, developing into a responsible, two-way player and improving his points totals in each of his three years.
As a free agent, Ward signed a one-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 15, 2008.[8] He made the opening night roster out of training camp for the 2008–09 season and scored his first NHL goal in his first game as a Predator against the St. Louis Blues on October 10, 2008.[9]
In 2008–09, his first full NHL season, he scored 17 goals in 79 games, and his reliability as a defensive forward, and success as a utility scoring forward earned him a two-year contract extension on July 1, 2009.[10][11]
Ward with the Capitals in March 2013
Ward became an unrestricted free agent after the 2010–11 season and subsequently signed a four-year, $12million contract with the Washington Capitals on July 1, 2011.[12] On April 25, 2012, Ward scored the game-winning goal in overtime in Game 7 of the first round of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs against the defendingStanley Cup champions, the Boston Bruins, advancing Washington to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. However, Ward's fortune would not continue into Washington's series with the New York Rangers. With the series tied at two games apiece, Ward took a high-sticking double minor penalty on Carl Hagelin with 22 seconds remaining in the third period of Game 5, with Washington leading 2–1. Rangers forward Brad Richards tied the game with under ten seconds remaining, and defenceman Marc Staal scored in overtime with the Rangers still on the powerplay as a result of Ward's penalty; the Rangers took a 3–2 series lead. After the Capitals' ultimate elimination in the series, Ward required surgery for a sports hernia.
On November 1, 2013, in his 336th career game, Ward scored his first career hat-trick, coming against the Philadelphia Flyers in a 7–0 Washington victory.[13]
In 2014, Ward was selected to represent Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Championship.[14] He started on the team's checking fourth line, but finished as one of the team's top scorers.[15]
On July 3, 2015, as an unrestricted free agent, Ward signed a three-year, $9.75million contract with the San Jose Sharks.[16]
As the Sharks prepared to play in the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ward spoke to ESPN, stating that the NHL's first Black player, retired fellow right winger Willie O'Ree, should have his player number 22 retired by the NHL league-wide, just as Jackie Robinson, the first player of colour in Major League Baseball has been honoured—and whom O'Ree had met in person in his own younger years—[17] by having his own player number 42 retired league-wide.[18]
After his contract expired after three seasons, Ward left the Sharks' organization. On September 14, 2018, Ward agreed to attend the Montreal Canadiens' training camp on a professional tryout.[19] However, the Canadiens released Ward from his tryout on September 25.[20]
On June 8, 2020, Ward became an inaugural executive board member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, whose goal is to address intolerance and racism in hockey.[23]
Ward took his first coaching position on November 23, 2020, as he was hired as an assistant coach for the newly-relocated Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League.[24] On July 12, 2023, Ward was promoted to assistant coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, Henderson's NHL parent club.[25]
William Eldon O'Ree is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player from Fredericton, New Brunswick. He is widely recognized for being the first black player in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing as a winger for the Boston Bruins. His accomplishment of breaking the colour barrier in the NHL has led him to sometimes be referred to as the "Jackie Robinson of hockey," whom he had the chance to meet when he was younger. In 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and starting that year the NHL has introduced the annual Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award in his honor.
Kenneth Scott Hannan is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Hannan was born in Richmond, British Columbia, but grew up in Surrey, British Columbia.
Alexander Lawrence Henry is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who most recently played for the Dutch team HYS The Hague from The Hague. He played 177 games in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens.
Ryan Suter is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars. Internationally, Suter has represented the U.S. national team at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
James Heward is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, who currently serves as an associate coach for the Henderson Silver Knights.
Joshua Daniel Gorges is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He is of German ancestry; his grandparents immigrated from Germany to Canada. Gorges played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres.
Daniel Ellis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who currently works as a goaltending scout for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Thomas Kelly Gilbert is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Gilbert played 655 regular season games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for five teams over parts of 12 seasons for the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings.
Matthew James Hendricks is an American former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and the Minnesota Wild. He was drafted 131st overall by the Predators in 2000, though he didn't play for the organization until signing as a free agent for the 2013–14 season.
Jarred Michael Tinordi is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Calgary Wranglers in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 22nd overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Tinordi was also drafted in the seventh round by Metallurg Magnitogorsk during the 2010 KHL Junior Draft.
The history of black players in North American ice hockey has roots dating back to the late 19th century. The first black ice hockey star was Herb Carnegie during the Great Depression. Willie O'Ree broke the NHL's color barrier with the Boston Bruins in 1958.
Daniel Carr is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for HC Lugano of the National League (NL). Originally undrafted by teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), Carr has previously played for the Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, and Washington Capitals.
The following is a list of all team-to-team transactions that have occurred in the National Hockey League during the 2014–15 NHL season. It lists which team each player has been traded to, signed by, or claimed by, and for which player(s) or draft pick (s), if applicable. Players who have retired are also listed. The 2014–15 trade deadline was on March 2, 2015. Any players traded or claimed off waivers after this date were eligible to play up until, but not in the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Brian Nicholas Cousins is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the third round, 68th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2011 NHL entry draft. Cousins has also previously played for the Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, and Nashville Predators. Cousins won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024.
The following is a list of all team-to-team transactions that have occurred in the National Hockey League during the 2015–16 NHL season. It lists which team each player has been traded to, signed by, or claimed by, and for which player(s) or draft pick (s), if applicable. Players who have retired are also listed. The 2015–16 trade deadline was on February 29, 2016. Any players traded or claimed off waivers after this date were eligible to play up until, but not in the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The following is a list of all team-to-team transactions that occurred in the National Hockey League during the 2016–17 NHL season. It lists which team each player has been traded to, signed by, or claimed by, and for which player(s) or draft pick (s), if applicable. Players who have retired are also listed. The 2016–17 NHL trade deadline was on March 1, 2017. Any players traded or claimed off waivers after this date were eligible to play up until, but not in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The following is a list of all team-to-team transactions that have occurred in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 2017–18 NHL season. It lists which team each player has been traded to, signed by, or claimed by, and for which player(s) or draft pick (s), if applicable. Players who have retired are also listed. The 2017–18 NHL trade deadline was on February 26, 2018. Players traded after this date were not eligible to play in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The following is a list of all team-to-team transactions that have occurred in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 2018–19 NHL season. It lists which team each player has been traded to, signed by, or claimed by, and for which player(s) or draft pick(s), if applicable. Players who have retired are also listed.The 2018–19 NHL trade deadline was on February 25, 2019. Players traded after this date were not eligible to play in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The following is a list of all team-to-team transactions that have occurred in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 2019–20 NHL season. It lists which team each player has been traded to, signed by, or claimed by, and for which player(s) or draft pick(s), if applicable. Players who have retired or released are also listed. The 2019–20 NHL trade deadline was on February 24, 2020. Players traded or claimed off waivers after this date were not eligible to play in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 2022–23 Nashville Predators season was the 25th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 25, 1997. The Predators were eliminated from playoff contention after the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Minnesota Wild on April 11, 2023, and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2013–14 season.
↑ Steve Murphy, interviewer with CTV News in Halifax, NS (2007). Willie O'Ree – First Black NHL Player (YouTube). heathernocs. Event occurs at 4:31. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
↑ Douglas, William (May 30, 2016). "Joel Ward thinks the NHL should honor Willie O'Ree by retiring his number". colorofhockey.com. The Color of Hockey. Retrieved May 31, 2016. Joel Ward has an idea for the National Hockey League to honor the history and growing impact of black players in the sport: Retire the number 22 Willie O'Ree wore with the Boston Bruins when he became the league's first black player in 1958."I definitely think Willie should be recognized for sure," Ward told ESPN Sunday, the media day before his San Jose Sharks face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. "It's a no-brainer. Without Willie, it would be tough for me to be sitting here today. I definitely think Willie should be a big part of this."
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