San Jose Sharks right wing Joel Ward, center, celebrates his goal with teammates including right wing Barclay Goodrow, right, against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, in Los Angeles.
Ward only played for 11 seasons but maximized his ability as someone who certainly didn’t come from a prestigious junior club. Ross covered the San Jose Sharks and the National Hockey League since the team's inception going back to the Cow Palace days starting in 1991-92. Ward then signed with Washington in the summer of 2011, and added to his reputation as a clutch playoff performer. Ward wrote how fatherhood has changed his perspective following his playing career. “When I saw my son during my wife’s ultrasound over a year ago, I couldn’t wait to tell him those stories,” Ward wrote. Ward, 39, played his final three seasons (2015-18) with the Sharks, for whom he had 36 goals and 84 points. Your email address will not be published. Prior to covering the Sharks, Curtis served as the high school sports editor for the East Bay. “I played every game — every single game — like I was it the only one I’d ever have,” Ward wrote. Joel Ward announces his retirement. He was still a decent physical presence with 35 hits and 27 blocks but his skills were in steep decline at 37-years-old. GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. He was the Sharks' traveling beat writer and general assignment reporter/editor first for the San Francisco Examiner, then the San Francisco Chronicle, through 2007. Playing a top nine forward role, Ward, at age 35, scored 21 goals and had 43 points in his first season with the Sharks, the second-highest totals of his career after he had 24 goals and 49 points in 2013-14 with the Washington Capitals. I wish Joel nothing but the best in retirement. He was never a top option but still scored more than 45 points twice. Your email address will not be published. A’s pitcher Jesús Luzardo takes the mound with spirit of high school... 49ers’ message to NFL: Revenge tour hasn’t been canceled. He would score 133 goals and 304 points in 726 games. But, you know, just thinking about it all — all 726 games — I realized something. In Game 7 of the Capitals’ first round series with the defending Cup champion Boston Bruins, Ward scored the overtime winner to lift seventh-seeded Washington past No. Ward, who went on to play 10-plus seasons in the NHL, including three with the Sharks from 2015-2018, officially announced his retirement Monday in an article he wrote for The Players Tribune titled “726,” reflecting the number of games he played in the league. “The locker room was unbelievable,” Ward said on a conference call. “I played in all different situations, from the top line to the bottom, so I think I can relate to all the guys,” Ward said. There are players with much higher pedigrees that will never reach that mark. He might never have his number retired but he was a smart, tough player who maximized his abilities every time he played.
For complete Sharks coverage He didn’t know exactly what was happening, but he will someday. Ward last played in San Jose’s 2017-18 regular-season finale, but he did not appear in any of the Sharks’ subsequent 10 playoff games. That is outstanding for a players who was basically signed off the undrafted scrap pile at age-26. The news was announced late Monday morning.
That risk has been apparent this season, as Ward was scratched in five consecutive games in October. Required fields are marked *. 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. Whereas Donskoi's earned San Jose its first-ever win in a Stanley Cup final game, Ward got the team there to begin with.