We are very excited to announce NHL alumnus Jason Ward as our new U22AA Head Coach.
Jason was born in Chapleau, Ontario and grew up in Oshawa. Husband to Kelly, they share three sons (Eric, Nathan and Lucas). Jason played his minor hockey in Oshawa and was drafted into the OHL by the Niagara Falls Thunder, 6th overall. Along with winning Gold for Team Ontario in 1996, and again with Team Canada with the U18's in 1997, Jason also had the honour of being selected for the 1998 and 1999 World Juniors, winning silver in his second year.
At the 1997 Entry Draft, Jason was drafted 11th overall by the Montreal Canadiens and went on to play in over 700 professional games. During his time in the NHL, he played for Montreal, the New York Rangers, the LA Kings and the Tampa Bay Lightning. During his pro career, he also spent some time in the AHL, and in 2003, won the Les Cunningham Award as the league’s Most Valuable Player. Jason finished his playing career in Europe with Linz of the EBEL where he played one season.
After retiring, Jason went on to become an Assistant Coach with the Brampton Battalion (OHL) from 2011-2013. The following season, when Brampton relocated their team to North Bay, he decided to stay local to spend time with his family. In 2020, Jason returned to the coaching ranks, joining the Georgetown Raiders of the OJHL as an Assistant Coach. Following that, he spent the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with the Oakville Blades as the Associate Head Coach.
We are extremely fortunate to have such a distinguished and well respected person join us and help lead our Junior team into the future. We look forward to working with you Jason, and can't wait to see your program take shape.