CAM WARD

'Cameron Kenneth Ward' (born February 29, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He cites Sherwood Park, Alberta as his hometown. He is the goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes and won the Stanley Cup in his 2006 rookie campaign—the first goalie to do so since Hall of Famer Patrick Roy in 1986.^[1]

Contents

Playing career

Minor leagues

NHL

2005-2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Personal life

Trivia

Awards & Achievements

Career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Notes

External links

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.^[2] 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, Zigmund Palffy, and Sidney Crosby, leading the Hurricanes to a 3-2 win. He earned immediate praise for his performance.^[3] 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.^[4] 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, but with help due to the injury of the Montreal captain Saku Koivu and helped to carry his team to the next round against the New Jersey Devils, where he defeated his personal hero Martin Brodeur.^[5] 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.^[6] 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. Ward wins Conn Smythe Trophy
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.

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 both 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 neighbourhood in the city's southeast corner where he lived until moving to Sherwood Park when he was 10 years old.^[7] On July 22, 2006, Ward married his fiancée Cody Campbell in Sherwood Park.^[8]
Ward wears the rock group Nickelback's picture on his helmet. He is also a fan of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders.^[9]
On March 25, 2007 Ward shaved his head for the St. Baldrick's Foundation.^[10]

Trivia

★ Owner of the Red Deer Jets

★ Is a fan of Nickelback

★ Born on a leap day (February 29)

Awards & Achievements

★ 2000-01 Bill Ranford Trophy

★ 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

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T ★	MIN	GA	SO	GAA
2000-01	Red Deer Rebels	WHL		1	1	0	0	60	0	1	0.00
2001-02	Red Deer Rebels	WHL		46	30	11	4	2694	102	1	2.27
2002-03	Red Deer Rebels	WHL		57	40	13	3	3368	118	5	2.10
2003-04	Red Deer Rebels	WHL		56	31	16	8	3338	114	4	2.05
2004-05	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL		50	27	17	3	2829	94	6	1.99
2005-06	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL		2	0	2	0	118	5	0	2.54
2005-06	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		28	14	8	0	1484	91	0	3.68
2006-07	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		60	30	21	6	3422	167	2	2.93
NHL Totals				88	44	29	0	4906	258	2	3.16

★ _{As of the 2005-06 season, ties have been elminated in place of overtime/shootout losses}

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA
2001-02	Red Deer Rebels	WHL		23	14	9	1502	53	2	2.11
2002-03	Red Deer Rebels	WHL		23	14	9	1407	49	3	2.08
2003-04	Red Deer Rebels	WHL		19	10	9	1200	37	3	1.85
2004-05	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL		11	5	6	664	28	2	2.53
2005-06	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		23	15	8	1320	47	2	2.14
2006-07	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		-	-	-	-	-	-	-
NHL Totals				23	15	8	1320	47	2	2.13

Notes

1. Warm welcome home for Ward Shane Jones
2. Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning scoresheet, accessed 2006-08-23
3. Pittsburgh Penguins at Carolina Hurricanes game recap
4. Rookies, vets on Team Canada's long Olympic list
5. Hurricanes down Devils, will face Sabres in Eastern finals
6. Chris Pronger NHL profile
7. Dream weaver: Cam Ward's dreams of raising Stanley Cup took root in Saskatoon Cory Wolfe
8. Ward is Bowled Over by the Cup
9. Stadium name has fans angry: Riders faithful just don't like 'Mosaic Stadium' Jonathan Huntington
10. Hockey Star Glad to be Bald

External links

★

★

★ Red Deers Jets