Bio: Was a three-time CIS all-Canadian at McGill, where she guided the Martlets to three consecutive appearances in the CIS gold medal game, winning twice. She graduated in only three years and became the highest scoring defenceman in McGill history with a 34-104-138 record in 109 games overall (a record since broken by Cathy Chartrand, who played five seasons). After graduating from McGill, Ward transferred to Boston University for an MBA, was a New England Division 1 all-star, earned NCAA All-American second team honours and was a nominee for the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Award... She guided the Terriers to the championship game at the NCAA Frozen Four... After graduation from BU, she was drafted by the Montreal Stars of the CWHL and led the team to the Clarkson Cup championship in 2011-12. The following season the Stars returned to the Clarkson Cup final. Ward also led all defencemen in scoring in 2012-13 and she was named CWHL Defenceman of the Year.
HOCKEY CANADA BACKGROUND
Was part of Canada’s National Women’s Team from 2009 to 2014... Retired from the national team in September 2015 after sitting out the 2014-15 season to take a job as an assistant product manager for sticks with the equipment company CCM... Ward made her Olympic debut as a member of the gold medal-winning team at Vancouver 2010... At Sochi 2014 she served as an alternate captain and played 121 minutes and 14 seconds, the most ice time of anyone on Team Canada en route to her second Olympic gold medal... Also played in four IIHF World Women’s Championships (2009, silver; 2011, silver; 2012, gold; 2013, silver), three 4 Nations Cup (2008, 2009, 2012), the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup and 2011 IIHF 12 Nations Women’s Invitational Tournament ... Played in a six-game series versus the United States leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games ... Won a silver medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team at the 2009 MLP Cup in Ravensburg, Germany ... A member of Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team for a three-game series vs. the United States in Pierrefonds, Que., in August 2008 ... Won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team at the 2008 Air Canada Cup in Ravensburg, Germany ... Attended Canada’s National Women’s Team Fall Festival in Prince George, B.C., in September 2007 ... Was a member of Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team for a three-game series vs. the United States in Lake Placid, N.Y., in August 2007 ... Won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team at the 2007 Air Canada Cup in Ravensburg, Germany ... Was a member of Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team for a three-game series vs. the United States in Ottawa, Ont., in August 2006,
HOCKEY BACKGROUND
2011-12: Selected seventh overall, second by Montréal Stars in the 2011 CWHL Draft … 2010-11: Helped Boston University reach the championship game at the NCAA Frozen Four … Named an NCAA Second Team All-American … Named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team … Led Boston University defencemen in scoring… 2008-09: Helped McGill win the CIS national championship… Named CIS Championship MVP … Named to the CIS All-Tournament Team … Named a CIS First Team All-Canadian … Set an RSEQ record for points by a defenceman … 2007-08: Helped McGill win the CIS national championship … Named to the CIS All-Tournament Team … Named a CIS First Team All-Canadian …Named to the RSEQ First All-Star Team … Named McGill Most Outstanding Defensive Player … 2006-07: Helped McGill reach the gold medal game at the CIS championship … Named a CIS First Team All-Canadian … Named CIS and RSEQ Rookie of the Year … Named to the CIS All-Rookie Team … Named to the RSEQ First All-Star Team …
OTHER: Captained Quebec to a silver medal at the January 2005 National Women’s Under-18 Championship in Salmon Arm, B.C. … Named Collégial AA MVP in 2005-06… Named to the Collégial AA First All-Star Team in 2004-05 and 2005-06 … Won a silver medal with Quebec at the 2003 Canada Winter Games in Bathurst and Campbellton, N.B. … Lists Michel St-Martin as her favourite minor hockey coach
PERSONAL
Daughter of Patrick and Lise … Has one brother, David … Started playing hockey when she was five… Her father and brother both played so she spent a lot of time in rinks, making it natural for her to want to play as well… They would also play on outdoor rinks until they couldn’t feel their toes… Bilingual… Favourite movie: City of God … Favourite TV show: One Tree Hill … Favourite NHL team: Montreal Canadiens … Favourite female athlete: wheelchair Olympian Chantal Peticlerc... Enjoys cooking, music and travelling…Odds and Ends: Had her Olympic dream sparked by watching Team Canada overcome adversity to beat Team USA at Salt Lake City 2002… Walking into the Opening Ceremony at Vancouver 2010 it really hit her that she had achieved her dream… Always needs her pre-game coffee.
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CAREER STATS AT McGILL (2006-09)
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OVERALL CAREER TOTALS:
2006-07 38GP: 16-36-52, 18 PIM, 2 PPG, 4 SHG, 2 WG, 1 OT Shootout Goal
2007-08 38GP: 12-27-39, 24 PIM, 5 PPG, 1 SHG, 2 WG, 1 HAT
2008-09 32GP: 7-40-47, 12 PIM, 0 PPG, 1 SHG, 2 WG
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TOTALS: 108GP: 35-103-138, 54 PIM, 7 PP, 6 SH, 6 WG, 1 HAT, 1 Shootout Goal
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REGULAR SEASON CAREER TOTALS:
2006-07 16GP: 5-17-22, 8 PIM, 0 PPG, 1 SHG, 0 WG, 0 HAT, 1 TG
2007-08 15GP: 7-12-19, 8 PIM, 3 PPG, 1 SHG, 0 WG, 1 HAT
2008-09 15GP: 3-21-24, 2 PIM, 0 PPG, 1 SHG, 2 WG, 0 HAT
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TOTALS: 46GP: 15-50-65, 18 PIM, 3 PP, 3 SH, 2 WG, 1 HAT, 1 TG
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PLAYOFF CAREER TOTALS:
2006-07 7 GP: 3-5-8, 4 PIM, 1 PPG, 2 SHG, 0 WG, 0 HAT
2007-08 7 GP: 3-7-10, 2 PIM, 1 PPG, 0 SHG, 1 WG, 1 HAT
2008-09 7 GP: 4-7-11, 6 PIM, 0 PPG, 1 SHG, 2 WG, 0 HAT
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TOTALS: 21 GP: 10-19-29, 12 PIM, 2 PP, 3 SH, 3 WG, 1 HAT
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JUNIOR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS (2008-09)
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- received McGill's Most Outstanding Defensive Player trophy
- CIS All-Canadian for third consecutive season
- QSSF Conference All-Star for third consecutive season
- CIS All-Tournament Team
- CIS Tournament MVP
- Led QSSF defencemen in scoring
- Helped lead McGill to a gold medal at the CIS championship
- became the highest scoring defenceman in McGill history with 33-102-135 in 109 career games... In 14 regular season contests, she posted a 3-21-24 point total... She led all rearguards across the country in points per game (1.60) and ended up tied for second in total points, just two in arrears of Laurier’s Andrea Bevan, who played 12 more contests.... In 32 games overall, Ward was fifth on the team in scoring with 7-40-47 and one SHG, plus 2 WG.
- REG. SEASON: 15 GP: 3-21-24, 2 PIM, 0 PPG, 1 SHG, 2 WG, 0 HAT
- OVERALL: 32 GP: 7-40-47, 12 PIM, 0 PPG, 1 SHG, 2 WG
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SOPHOMORE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS (2007-08)
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- received McGill's Most Outstanding Defensive Player trophy
- CIS All-Canadian ...
- QSSF Conference All-Star ...
- Led QSSF defencemen in scoring ...
- Helped lead McGill to a gold medal at the CIS championship ...
- REG. SEASON: 15GP: 7-12-19, 8 PIM, 3 PPG, 1 SHG, 1 HAT... Was the fourth-leading point-scorer in Quebec and the third-leading point-getter among all CIS rearguards
- OVERALL: 38 GP: 12-27-39, 24 PIM, 5 PPG, 1 SHG, 2 WGs, 1 HAT
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FRESHMAN SEASON HIGHLIGHTS (2006-07)
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- CIS All-Canadian
- QSSF Conference All-star
- QSSF Conference Rookie of the Year
- CIS Rookie of the Year
- CIS All-tournament team
- Helped lead McGill to a silver medal at the CIS championship ...
- named Quebec University female athlete of the week (Feb. 21)
- REG. SEASON: 16GP: 5-17-22, 8 PIM 1 SHG, 1 TG... Was the third-leading scorer in Quebec and the second-leading point-getter among all CIS rearguards, setting a Quebec league single-season record for most points by a defenceman
- OVERALL: 38 GP: 15-37-52, 16 PIM, with two PPGs, three SHGs and two game-winners, 2 first goals, 1 OTS goal
- established McGill single-season records (both overall and reg. season) for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman
- by the age of 20, she had a Dawson College hockey scholarship named in her honour (Feb. 2007)
PRIOR TO McGILL:
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OTHER: Captained Team Quebec to a silver medal at the January 2005 National Women's Under-18 Championship in Salmon Arm, BC ...
Named Collégial AA MVP in 2005-06 ... Named to the Collégial AA First All-Star Team in 2004-05 and 2005-06 ... Won a silver medal with Team Quebec at the 2003 Canada Winter Games in Bathurst, NB
- in five games with the 2005 Quebec provincial team, she had one assist
- turned down scholarship offers from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth and the University of Minnesota to attend McGill University
- previously played for the Dawson College Blues under head coach Derek Mott, where she was the 2006 COLLÉGIAL AA recipient of the Club de Medaille d'Or award for athletics excellence
- voted 2005-06 player of the year in the CEGEP AA league
- named to the 2005-06 CEGEP AA league all-star team
- prior to Dawson, she played high school hockey for College Notre Dame under head coach Sylvain Gendron
PERSONAL
- Shoots: left
- Lists Michel St-Martin as her favourite minor hockey coach ...
- Favourite movie: City of God ...
- Favourite TV show: One Tree Hill ...
- Favourite NHL team: Montreal Canadiens ...
- Favourite female athlete: wheelchair athlete Chantal Peticlerc ...
- Favourite sport, other than hockey: soccer ...
- Daughter of Patrick and Lise ...
- Has one brother, David ...
