Image Credit: WHL

By Victor Kaisar

NCAA Commitment

Kamloops native Mathew Ward commits to Northern Michigan University

Jan 9, 2025 | 12:34 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops native Mathew Ward has committed to playing hockey for Northern Michigan University.

The 20-year-old forward, who is currently playing for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, is set to join the NCAA Division II Wildcats for the 2025-26 season.

A first round draft pick of the Swift Current Broncos, Ward has 29 points (11 goals and 18 assists) in 38 games this season.

Ward is coming off his first five-point game in the WHL with a hat trick and pair of assists against his former club on Jan. 4. Two of those goals were scored six seconds apart, which is tied for the second-fastest consecutive goals by one player in WHL history.

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The five-foot-nine Ward has tallied 237 points (84 goals and 153 assists) in 237 career WHL regular season games. He is also a point-per-game player in eight postseason games with the Broncos in 2024.

The Tigers are first in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with 48 points in 40 games. They’re tied with the Saskatoon Blades and the Calgary Hitmen, who have played 39 and 37 games respectively.

Ward will face his hometown WHL team on Feb. 22, when the Kamloops Blazers play the Tigers at the Co-op Place in Medicine Hat.