Cam Ward

Infobox Ice Hockey Player

---

image_size = 260px
position = Goaltender
catches = Left
nickname= Wardo
height_ft = 6
height_in = 1
weight_lb = 200
team = Carolina Hurricanes
league = NHL
nationality = Canada
birth_date = birth date and age|1984|2|29
birth_place = Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
career_start = 2004
draft = 25th overall
draft_year = 2002
draft_team = Carolina Hurricanes

Cameron Ward (born February 29, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender with the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. He cites Sherwood Park, Alberta as his hometown. He won the Stanley Cup in his 2006 rookie campaign—the first goalie to do so since Hall of Famer Patrick Roy in 1986.cite news
last = Jones
first = Shane
title = Warm welcome home for Ward
url = http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/story.php?id=250030
date = 2006-08-23
accessdate = 2006-08-23]

Playing career

Minor leagues

Ward was drafted 25th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. After appearing in one game in the Western Hockey League in 2000-01, Ward played three full seasons with the Red Deer Rebels from 2001-2004, leading the Rebels to the WHL finals twice. Upon graduating from the WHL, Ward moved on to play two seasons with the Lowell Lock Monsters of the American Hockey League.

NHL

On May 13, 2004, Ward signed a multi-year contract with the Hurricanes. In the 2005-06 NHL season, Ward largely served in a backup role to Swiss goalie Martin Gerber. Ward's first game came on the season opener on October 5, 2005, against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Gerber injured his hamstring, and Ward was called in to take his place; he saved 10 of 11 shots in a 5-2 loss. [ [http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20052006/GS020008.HTM Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning scoresheet] , accessed 2006-08-23] His second game came two days later in the home opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It eventually resulted in a shootout where Ward turned aside Mario Lemieux, Žigmund Pálffy, and Sidney Crosby, leading the Hurricanes to a 3-2 win. He earned immediate praise for his performance. [cite news
title = Pittsburgh Penguins at Carolina Hurricanes game recap
url = http://www.nhl.com/scores/recaps/21_2_recap.html
date = 2005-10-07
accessdate = 2006-08-23] His excellent performance in his rookie season earned him consideration on a shortlist of 81 candidates to play for the Team Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics. [cite news
title = Rookies, vets on Team Canada's long Olympic list
url = http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2005/10/19/Sports/cdahockey_olympiclist051019.html
date = 2005-10-19
accessdate = 2006-08-23] He was one of only nine goalies selected, however he was not named to the Canadian squad. His performance gradually began to slow down, and he finished with a 14-8 record and a 3.68 goals against average.

2005-2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs

In the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Hurricanes found themselves in a two game deficit in the first round against the Montreal Canadiens. Martin Gerber struggled in the series, which prompted Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette to turn to Ward. Ward quickly stifled the Montreal offense, and helped to carry his team to the next round against the New Jersey Devils, where he defeated his personal hero Martin Brodeur.cite news| title = Hurricanes down Devils, will face Sabres in Eastern finals| url = http://sportsline.com/nhl/gamecenter/recap/NHL_20060514_NJ@CAR | publisher = Associated Press | date = 2006-05-14 | accessdate = 2006-08-26] After beating the Devils, the Hurricanes played the Buffalo Sabres, who had their own rookie goalie sensation, Ryan Miller; Carolina won in seven games.

On June 5, 2006, Chris Pronger scored on a penalty shot against Ward in the Stanley Cup Final, marking the first successful penalty shot in the Finals' history. [ [http://www.nhl.com/players/8459424.html Chris Pronger NHL profile] ] Nonetheless, Ward went on to win the game, turning away 34 shots on goal. He eventually won the Stanley Cup, becoming the first rookie goaltender to do so since Patrick Roy.

On the road to the 2006 Stanley Cup, Ward set several milestones- all of which were last achieved by Roy in 1986. He became the first rookie goalie in 20 years to record a shutout in the Stanley Cup Finals, the first rookie in 20 years to start a game in the Finals, and one of eleven rookies to record a shutout in the Finals. He tied the rookie record for wins in the playoffs (15), previously held by only Roy and Ron Hextall, and became the first rookie goalie to win the Conn Smythe Trophy since Hextall in 1987.cite news| title = Ward wins Conn Smythe Trophy| url = http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=169213&hubname=nhl | publisher = Canadian Press | date = 2006-08-19 | accessdate = 2006-08-26]

The victory ended up being bittersweet for Ward and those close to him, though. He, alongside Fort Saskatchewan natives Ray Whitney and Mike Commodore, ended up winning the Stanley Cup by defeating the Edmonton Oilers - their childhood team.

He was a member of the 2007 Canadian IIHF World Championship team that won gold in a 4-2 win against Finland in Moscow and a member of the 2008 Canadian IIHF World Championship team that won silver in a 4-5 game against Russia in Canada.

Personal life

Born in St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Ward is the second child of Ken and Laurel Ward. He is the middle child of his family, between Chelsea, his younger sister, and Kendra, his older sister. He grew up in Saskatoon and Sherwood Park, spending his adolescent years in the latter. When the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, an article in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix acknowledged Ward's early years in Saskatoon growing up in Lakeridge, a neighborhood in the city's southeast corner where he lived until moving to Sherwood Park when he was 10 years old. [cite news
last = Wolfe
first = Cory
title = Dream weaver: Cam Ward's dreams of raising Stanley Cup took root in Saskatoon
url = http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=a2b29c97-189f-41c0-8e38-56135fa45dfc&k=82093
date = 2006-06-24
accessdate = 2006-08-23] On July 22, 2006, Ward married his fiancée Cody Campbell in Sherwood Park. [cite news
title = Ward is Bowled Over by the Cup
url = http://www.nhl.com/cup/scj06/scj23.html
date = 2006-07
accessdate = 2007-08-26]

Ward wears the rock group Nickelback's picture on his helmet. He is also a fan of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders. [cite news
last = Huntington
first = Jonathan
title = Stadium name has fans angry: Riders faithful just don't like 'Mosaic Stadium'
url = http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Saskatchewan/2006/06/26/1653869-sun.html
date = 2006-06-26
accessdate = 2007-01-09] On March 25, 2007 Ward shaved his head for the St. Baldrick's Foundation. [cite news
title = Hockey Star Glad to be Bald
url = http://www.stbaldricks.org/about_us/news_media.html?NewsMediaID=650
date = 2007-03-29
accessdate = 2007-08-26] He owns the Red Deer Jets.

Awards & Achievements

*2000-01 Bill Ranford TrophyTSN-NHL-profile|2838|hurricanes]
*2000-01 Red Deer Rebels Rookie of the Year
*2001-02 Del Wilson Trophy
*2001-02 CHL Second Team All-star
*2002-03 Del Wilson Trophy
*2003-04 CHL First Team All-star
*2003-04 Del Wilson Trophy
*2003-04 Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
*2004-05 AHL All-Rookie Team
*2005-06 Conn Smythe Trophy

Career statistics

Regular season

ee also

*List of NHL players
*List of NHL seasons
*List of AHL seasons
*List of WHL seasons

References

External links

*nhlprofile|8470320
*hockeydb|55426
* [http://www.reddeerjets.com/ Red Deers Jets]