NEWS: Former Vee Taylor Ward Inks NHL Deal With Los Angeles
PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography
PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees Hockey Club is pleased to announce former Vees forward Taylor Ward has signed with the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League on a one-year entry-level contract.
Ward will join the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League for the remainder of the 2021/22 season on an Amateur Tryout before his entry-level contract goes into effect for the 2022/23 campaign.
Ward, 23, just concluded his final season of collegiate hockey at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he played for four seasons and totaled 57 goals and 58 assists for 115 points in 131 games played. The Kelowna, BC native leaves the Mavericks ranking 6th in history in goals, 9th in points and 8th in points-per-game. Ward had a career year in his final season with Omaha, leading the team with 19 goals and 39 points in 38 games.
While playing in three seasons for the Vees, Ward helped steer Penticton to a Fred Page Cup in the 2016/17 season. Ward compiled 36 goals and 41 assists for 77 points in 162 career games with the Vees while adding 55 playoff games to his resume, scoring 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in that span.