NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Mat Ward stops up to make a pass in the Red Deer end in the first period of an 8-1 win Jan. 10 at Co-op Place over the Rebels.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Mat Ward is taking advantage of the new landscape of junior hockey.
The Medicine Hat Tigers overage forward has committed to play at Northern Michigan University Wilcats next season upon the completion of his WHL career, as announced by the Tigers on Jan. 9.
The Kamloops product is the first Tiger to commit to an NCAA program following the abolishment of previous rules forbidding CHL players from playing at the NCAA D1 level. Ward says the decision to commit to the Wildcats came from discussions with his agent and other advisers.
“If you had the opportunity, you might as well jump on it and then you can always go play pro whenever as well,” Ward said. “At Northern Michigan, (head coach) Dave (Shyiak) seems like a good guy and a lot of guys have said good things about him.”
Ward is in his first and only season with the Tigers after an off-season trade from the Swift Current Broncos. He has 11 goals and 31 points in 40 games with the orange and black. He jokes he likes the idea of joining a green-coloured team again after four seasons with the Broncos.
He also likes the idea of completing school while working out in preparation to turn professional.
“It’s important to get your school down but at the same time you’re playing close to two games a week,” Ward said. “So you have the full week to work out, and being a smaller guy, I think that’s kind of something I need to work out. And to have those games as well mixed in, those weeks of working out will help get me ready for pro.”
