Ward was a few months shy of his 25th birthday when he finally made it as a full-time professional, joining Houston of the American Hockey League. He signed his first NHL contract with the Minnesota Wild one year later, in 2006, and has made up for lost time ever since.

Ward spent four seasons with Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League and, after an unsuccessful tryout with the Detroit Red Wings, opted to play college hockey at the University of Prince Edward Island. He spent four years there and graduated in 2005 with a degree in sociology. His dream remained to play in the NHL.

After spending the 2005-06 season with Houston, Ward made his NHL debut with the Wild on Dec 11, 2006 against the Vancouver Canucks. He had one point in 11 games for Minnesota in 2006-07, and blossomed as an NHL player after signing as a free agent with the Nashville Predators on July 14, 2008.

He had 17 goals and 35 points for the Predators in 2008-09, his first full NHL season, and quickly established himself as a reliable two-way forward. The Predators were 21-3-2 in 2009-10 when Ward had a point.

Ward ranked second among Nashville forwards in blocked shots (57) and was third on the Predators in takeaways (51) and fourth in hits (67) in 2010-11. During the Stanley Cup Playoffs that season, Ward had a point in 10 of the Predators' 12 games and led them in goals (seven), assists (six) and points (13).

Ward signed a four-year free agent contract with the Washington Capitals on July 1, 2011. In the 2013 playoffs, he tied for the most points on the Capitals with four in seven games. In 2013-14 he had his first 20-goal season, and on Nov. 1, 2013, he got his first NHL hat trick in a 7-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. At the 2014 World Championship, Ward led Canada with nine points, and during the 2015 playoffs he again led the Capitals in points with nine.

After signing as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks on July 3, 2015, Ward had the second 20-goal season of his NHL career. He had two assists in his Sharks playoff debut April 14, 2016, against the Los Angeles Kings. He scored two goals in each of the final two games of the Western Conference Final against the St. Louis Blues, including the winner in Game 6 as the Sharks advanced to their first Stanley Cup Final.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Signed as a free agent by Minnesota, September 27, 2006.
• Signed as a free agent by Nashville, July 14, 2008.
• Signed as a free agent by Washington, July 1, 2011.
• Signed as a free agent by San Jose, July 3, 2015.