Press release courtesy of Minnesota Wild

MINNESOTA WILD ASSIGNS RW JOEL WARD TO HOUSTON AEROS

SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Minnesota Wild President and General Manager Doug Risebrough today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has assigned RW Joel Ward to the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Ward, 26 (2/21/80), appeared in three preseason games with Minnesota and did not register a point. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound forward was a regular on the Aeros checking unit last season and posted 22 points (8-14=22) in 66 games as a rookie with the Wild’s primary development affiliate. He also tallied six points (4-2=6) in eight playoff games with Houston.

The native of Toronto, Ont. played four seasons of major junior hockey with the Owen Sound Platters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) before making his pro debut, appearing in eight postseason games with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) in 2001. He then attended the University of Prince Edward Island, were he tallied 135 points (54-81=135) and 124 penalty minutes (PIM) over the course of his four-year, 96-game career.

The Wild signed the training camp tryout to a contract on September 27, 2006.

-- WILD --