Joel Ward

Joel Ward (born December 2, 1980) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL).
==Playing career==
Undrafted, Ward played in the Ontario Hockey League with the Owen Sound Platers. After completing his four-year junior career and his final year of eligibility with the Platers in 2000–01, Ward linked up with lower tier professional team the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the West Coast Hockey League to end the season. An unsigned free agent to start the 2001–02 season, Ward attended the Detroit Red Wings training camp on a try-out but was recruited and played collegiately for the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers of the CIS.
Awarded Rookie of the year and the Panthers three time MVP while earning a degree in sociology in his four-year collegian career, 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 affiliate, the Houston Aeros, signing his first professional contract for the entire 2005–06 season. 
After impressing with his work ethic, Ward earned a two-year deal with the Wild on September 27, 2006. Ward debuted in 11 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild during the 2006–07 season but primarily stayed with the Aeros, developing into a responsible two-way player and improving his points totals in each of his three years. 
On July 15, 2008, Ward signed as a free agent to a one-year deal with the Nashville Predators. 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. 
As a 28 year old ineligible rookie he scored 17 goals in 79 games and his reliability as a defensive forward and success as a utility scoring forward led him to be re-signed to a two-year contract on July 1, 2009.
Ward became a free agent after the 2010-11 season and signed a four-year contract worth $12 million with the Washington Capitals on July 1, 2011.
==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
1997–98 	Owen Sound Platers 	OHL 		47 	8 	4 	12 	14 		11 	1 	1 	2 	5
1998–99 	Owen Sound Platers 	OHL 		58 	19 	16 	35 	23 		16 	2 	4 	6 	0
1999–00 	Owen Sound Platers 	OHL 		63 	23 	20 	43 	51 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Owen Sound Attack 	OHL 		67 	26 	36 	62 	45 		5 	2 	4 	6 	4
2000–01 	Long Beach Ice Dogs 	WCHL 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 		8 	0 	0 	0 	0
2001–02 	U. of Prince Edward Island	CIS 		22 	13 	14 	27 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	U. of Prince Edward Island	CIS 		19 	11 	15 	26 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	U. of Prince Edward Island	CIS 		27 	14 	24 	38 	42 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	U. of Prince Edward Island	CIS 		28 	16 	28 	44 	42 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Houston Aeros 	AHL 		66 	8 	14 	22 	34 		8 	4 	2 	6 	4
2006–07 	Houston Aeros 	AHL 		64 	9 	14 	23 	45 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		11 	0 	1 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Houston Aeros 	AHL 		79 	21 	20 	41 	47 		4 	0 	2 	2 	0
2008–09 	Nashville Predators 	NHL 		79 	17 	18 	35 	29 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Nashville Predators 	NHL 		71 	13 	21 	34 	18 		6 	2 	2 	4 	2
2010–11 	Nashville Predators 	NHL 		80 	10 	19 	29 	42 		12 	7 	6 	13 	6
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		241 	40 	59 	99 	89 		18 	9 	8 	17 	8
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1980
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Houston Aeros (AHL) players
Category:Long Beach Ice Dogs players
Category:Minnesota Wild players
Category:Nashville Predators players
Category:Owen Sound Attack alumni
Category:Owen Sound Platers alumni
Category:UPEI Panthers players
Category:Washington Capitals players
Category:Undrafted