Joel Ward (ice hockey)

Joel Ward
Ward with the San Jose Sharks in 2016
Born	(1980-12-02) December 2, 1980 (age 36) North York, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	San Jose Sharks Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators Washington Capitals
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2005–present

Joel Randal Ward (born December 2, 1980) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Unselected in any NHL Entry Draft, Ward has also previously played in the NHL for the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals.

Ward was born in North York, Ontario, (borough of Toronto) to Cecilia, who worked as a nurse, and the late Randal Ward, who worked as an auto-mechanic. Both of his parents are immigrants from Barbados. Joel Ward also has two brothers, Shane and Julian. Julian goes by the nickname "Caesar" and was an accomplished minor hockey player growing up. Both Joel and Caesar are very active in fantasy sports pools, including hockey, basketball, football and baseball. Joel graduated from Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute, located in Scarborough, Ontario, in 1998.

Undrafted, Ward played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) 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 basis, but was ultimately recruited and played collegiately for the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers of the CIS.