# Dixon Ward

Dixon McRae Ward (born September 23, 1968) is a Canadian former National Hockey League right wing. He was drafted in the seventh round, 128th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft.

## Career

Ward is the only North Dakota Fighting Sioux player to record 100 goals and 100 assists for his career. After playing four seasons with the University of North Dakota, Ward joined the Canucks for the 1992–93 season. Ward spent short periods of time with the Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, and Toronto Maple Leafs before joining the Buffalo Sabres, with whom he had his greatest success. Ward played four full seasons with the Sabres, including 1998–99 when he scored 20 goals in the regular season and 7 more during the team's run to the Stanley Cup finals. Ward later played one season each with the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers after which he retired in 2003. In his NHL career, Ward appeared in 537 games, scoring 95 goals and adding 129 assists. He also appeared in 62 playoff games, scoring 14 goals and recording 20 assists.
As of 2010, Ward is a VP with the Okanagan Hockey School in Penticton, BC.

## Awards and honors

| Award | Year |
| All-WCHA Second Team | 1990–91 |
| All-WCHA Second Team | 1991–92 |
* Jack A. Butterfield Trophy (most valuable player in Calder Cup (American Hockey League) playoffs): 1995–96 season
* Calder Cup champion with the Rochester Americans in the 1995–96 season.

## Career statistics

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1986–87 | Red Deer Rustlers | AJHL | 59 | 46 | 40 | 86 | 153 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 16 |
| 1987–88 | Red Deer Rustlers | AJHL | 51 | 60 | 71 | 131 | 167 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | University of North Dakota | WCHA | 37 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | University of North Dakota | WCHA | 45 | 35 | 34 | 69 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | University of North Dakota | WCHA | 43 | 34 | 35 | 69 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | University of North Dakota | WCHA | 38 | 33 | 31 | 64 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 70 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 82 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 1993–94 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 33 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 34 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 22 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | St. John's Maple Leafs | AHL | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Detroit Vipers | IHL | 7 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 1995–96 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 71 | 38 | 56 | 94 | 74 | 19 | 11 | 24 | 35 | 8 |
| 1996–97 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 79 | 13 | 32 | 45 | 36 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| 1997–98 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 71 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 42 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 6 |
| 1998–99 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 78 | 20 | 24 | 44 | 44 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 32 |
| 1999–2000 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 71 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2000–01 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 63 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | SC Langnau | NLA | 23 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | New York Rangers | NHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 67 | 23 | 41 | 64 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | SC Rapperswil–Jona | NLA | 35 | 22 | 11 | 33 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 537 | 95 | 129 | 224 | 431 | 62 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 46 |