Joel Ward’s Road to the NHL

But upon spotting a familiar sight on the right hand of a local scribe — in the form of a ring from St. Francis Xavier University — Ward was more interested in talking about his route to the NHL than anything else on this day. You want to talk long and winding? Well, his road includes the Confederation Bridge, the longest in the world over ice-covered waters.

The University of Prince Edward Island graduate is one of four current NHLers who played university hockey in Canada. Philadelphia’s Jody Shelley (Dalhousie), Montreal’s Mathieu Darche (McGill) and Toronto’s Darryl Boyce (University of New Brunswick) being the others.