RALEIGH, N.C. – The National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes today announced that former Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward will be inducted into the newly established Hurricanes Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class. Ward will join Rod Brind’Amour, Ron Francis and Glen Wesley, who have each had their jersey number retired by the team and thereby earned automatic induction, as the fourth Player to receive the honor. He will be formally honored during the Hurricanes’ inaugural Hall of Fame Night on Thursday, Feb. 16.
Ward, 38, played 668 regular-season games with the Hurricanes over 13 seasons (2005-18), earning a 318-244-84 record, 2.70 goals-against average, .909 save percentage and 27 shutouts. He also made 41 playoff appearances with the team, posting a 23-18 record, 2.38 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and four shutouts. Ward holds franchise goaltending records in games played, wins and shutouts, both for the regular season and postseason. He also leads all Whalers/Hurricanes goaltenders in career goals (1), assists (11) and points (12), and his 668 career games played rank eighth among all players in franchise history.
Ward was selected by the Hurricanes in the first round, 25th overall, of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, and he posted his first NHL win in his first start for Carolina on Oct. 7, 2005, stopping Mario Lemieux, Zigmund Palffy and Sidney Crosby on consecutive shootout attempts to earn the victory. Ward took over as the Hurricanes’ starting goaltender during the playoffs in 2006, leading the league in postseason wins (15) and ranking second in goals-against average (2.14) to help capture the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs, becoming just the fourth rookie netminder in NHL history to win the award.
In 2008-09, Ward set the single-season franchise record for wins (39), including a franchise-record nine-game win streak from March 18 to April 7, and tied the franchise record for shutouts (6). He also set the single-game record for saves, making 57 stops in a 4-3 win over the Islanders on Oct. 25. Ward led the Hurricanes to the 2009 Eastern Conference Final, tying for the league lead in postseason shutouts (2). Two seasons later, he led the NHL with a franchise-record 2,191 saves and earned selection to the 2011 All-Star Game, held in Raleigh. On Dec. 26, 2011, Ward was credited with Carolina’s final goal in a 4-2 victory against the Devils, marking the only goal scored by a goaltender in franchise history. He recorded his 300th career NHL/Hurricanes win at Vegas on Dec. 12, 2017, becoming the 32nd goaltender in league history to reach the 300-win plateau and just the eighth to earn his first 300 career wins with a single franchise.
Eligible Players include skaters who have played at least 250 games with the Hurricanes, goaltenders who have played at least 100 games with the Hurricanes and any skaters or goaltenders who have won the Stanley Cup or other major NHL awards during their tenure with the Hurricanes. Players must demonstrate exceptional attributes in the areas of playing ability, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the Hurricanes, and they must not have played in a professional or international game during the season prior to their election. Nominations were submitted to Hurricanes President and General Manager Don Waddell by all members of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, and all committee members voted by secret ballot for one nominated Player.
