Joel Ward officially retires
Despite not featuring in an NHL contest since playing with the San Jose Sharks in 2017-18, Joel Ward had kept the door open for a return to the game and was hoping that his experience could be of use to a young club looking for leadership or a contending team seeking a presence.
Unfortunately for Ward, that opportunity never came and on Monday afternoon the 39-year-old decided to officially hang up his skates. In a piece written for the Player’s Tribune entitled 726 – the number of NHL games Ward featured in – the right-winger explained his desire to go out on his own terms.
”I know I didn’t play the last two years, but I tried. I did. I wish I could have gone out in a bit of a different way,” Ward wrote. ”But, you know, just thinking about it all — all 726 games — I realized something. Who am I to wish for any more time? I got what I wanted. I’m one of the lucky ones.”
While Ward may not have necessarily had the chance to retire the way he would have liked, he still had a very respectable NHL career that surpassed anyone’s expectations of him. A fact that has not been lost on him.
“If, back then, you would have offered me just one single game in the league … I would have taken it and run. And I know I would have given everything I had in those 60 minutes, even if I knew there weren’t any more after.”
Ward was never drafted, but was invited to attend the Minnesota Wild’s training camp in 2006 where he would eventually land with the club’s AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros.
The forward eventually found his way to the North American top flight where he spent time with the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks. He also played eight games for Team Canada in the 2014 IIHF World Hockey Championships where he scored six goals and put up three assists. Unfortunately, it was a disappointing tournament for the Canadians who ultimately finished in fifth place.
Ward’s most productive season in the NHL came during his time in Washington with the Capitals where he spent four seasons. The only two occasions he featured in all 82 games of an NHL season were during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns when he was in Washington. He also reached his career high in points for a season while with the Capitals, putting up 24 goals and 25 assists for 49 points in 2013-14. Despite his lengthy career though, Ward was never able to claim the league’s most prestigious prize, the Stanley Cup.
Ward did attempt to keep his career going with the Montreal Canadians prior to the start of last season, signing a professional tryout contract with the club. He attended their training camp, but nothing really came out of it and he didn’t play a single game for the club. He also missed the entire 2019-20 campaign prior to the league being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
