Ward's Third Career Stanley Cup is First for Hurricanes
6/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Former University of Michigan defenseman Aaron Ward (1991-93) and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 Monday night (June 19) to win the National Hockey League's coveted Stanley Cup in the seventh game of the finals in the sold-out RBC Center.
Ward has hoisted the Cup three times in his career.
Ward is one of just three players on the Hurricanes roster to have previously won a Stanley Cup.
One of the Hurricanes' most consistently physical defensemen, Ward is a regular at reaching the Stanley Cup finals. This was his fourth trip in six playoff campaigns. He won two previous Stanley Cups with Detroit (1997, 1998) and skated with Carolina in the 2002 finals as the Hurricanes were defeated by the Red Wings.
Ward gave the Hurricanes the early 1-0 lead, slapping one home from the point to beat Edmonton goalie Jussi Markkanen at 1:26 of the first period. Mark Recchi and Matt Cullen assisted on the goal.
"The puck came back to me, I had time, and it was amazing that it went through all the traffic," said Ward. "It was a seeing-eye goal!"
It was Ward's second goal in the 25 games he played in the 2006 playoffs. He also had three assists.
Ward will be just the second U-M alumnus to see his name etched onto the Stanley Cup three times, joining Pat Hughes (U-M 1974-76) who won it once with the Montreal Canadiens in 1979 and twice with the Edmonton Oilers in 1984 and 1985.
Ward was a first-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets but played three years for the Wolverines. His rights were traded to Detroit and he joined the Red Wings in the 1993-94 season, playing most of the first year in Adirondack of the AHL. He was traded to Carolina by Detroit for a second-round pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Ward's 2006 Stanley Cup Playoff Stats
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 25 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
Ward's Stats at Michigan
| Season | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1990-91 | 46 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 126 |
| 1991-92 | 42 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 64 |
| 1992-93 | 30 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 73 |
| Totals | 118 | 20 | 31 | 51 | 263 |
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
