Players

Wishing a Fond Farewell to the Big Cheese, Joel Ward

Joel Ward rocking the… green. (Caps Outsider)

On Friday, Joel Ward signed a 3-year contact with the San Jose Sharks. We presume the Sharks are signing Ward for the same reason the Caps did – his relatively solid postseason numbers. This year he had 9 points in 14 games, plus a winner with 1.3 seconds left in the game.

Ward’s nickname was “Big Cheese,” however, I remember him as having a big butt. In an interview with The Post’s Alex Prewitt on why so many pucks seem to bounce off him, Ward said his mother gifted him with a big butt which allowed him to get better position in front of the net.

There are two Joel Ward moments I will never forget. The first was Game 7 against Boston. I think this is the moment we all fell in love with the guy. Ward knocked home a rebound from Mike Knuble’s shot to send the Caps past the defending Stanley Cup champions and into the second round.

The next that I will talk about is this past season. After an overtime filled first series, Game 1 of round 2 looked like it would too. Then Alex Ovechkin carried the puck behind Henrik Lundqvist, and backhanded it in front, right where Ward was waiting. Ward quickly put the puck in the back of the net with 1.3 seconds left to give the Caps a 1-0 series lead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n1BCitREE4

Ward has given us many moments to remember, especially in the postseason. But just like Eric Fehr, Ward spent a good deal of time doing work in the community, especially at Fort DuPont Ice Arena. I wish him the best of luck in San Jose.

 

 

 

Brandon Alter

Brandon Alter covers all three teams in the Washington Capitals Organization. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in May of 2021.

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