Catherine Ward

Catherine Ward (born February 27, 1987 in Longueuil, Quebec) is a member of the 2009–10 Hockey Canada national women's team. She was also a member of the 2008–09 McGill Martlets women's hockey season, which won a Canadian Interuniversity Sport title.

Playing career
Ward played with Sarah Vaillancourt on Team Quebec at the 2003 Canada Winter Games. Ward would silver at those Games. In 2010, Ward and Marie-Philip Poulin got their numbers retired from the Dawson Blues women's ice hockey program after winning the Olympic gold medal.

McGill Martlets
During the 2008-09, Ward set a QSSF record for points (25) by a defenseman, beating her own record (22) that she had set in 2006-07. In 2007, she was the first Martlet to earn CIS rookie-of-the-year honours since the inception of the award in 2000-01. She set new McGill single-season marks for most goals, assists and points in her varsity debut, finishing second among CIS defencemen with 22 points despite playing in only 16 conference games.

Boston Univeristy
Ward registered tallied three assists in the Terriers 7-2 win over Wayne State on October 15, 2010. Prior to the Terriers game on October 22, Ward was named an assistant captain. On October 18, Ward was named to the Hockey East Honor Roll. From January 28-29, 2011, Ward recorded a goal and two assists as the Terriers swept the Connecticut Huskies. She registered a goal and an assist in the Terriers’ come-from-behind victory on Jan. 28. The following day, she assisted on Jenelle Kohanchuk’s goal. She finished the weekend with a plus 2 rating. At season's end, Catherine Ward was the first ever Terrier to be named an All-American, as she was selected for the second team.

Montréal Stars
Ward has been a key player on the Montréal Stars roster. She was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2011 CWHL draft and the second pick of the Stars (only after Meghan Agosta). She participated in the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons, taking off the 2013-2014 season to centralize with Team Canada. Ward was one of their key defencewomen and helped them win the Clarkson Cup in 2012 and place second in the 2013 Clarkson Cup. During the 2012-2013 season, Ward took on a leadership role and wore one of the three A's  for the Stars, becoming an alternate captain and sole defensive representative.

Hockey Canada
In 2007, she played for the Canadian Under-22 team on two occasions. She was a member of the European Air Canada Cup in Ravensburg, Germany, in January. She followed the victory by winning a three-game exhibition series against the USA in Ottawa, in August. In 2009, Ward, and McGill teammate Charline Labonté represented Team Canada at the 2009 IIHF women's world hockey championship. By claiming the gold medal at the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship, Ward (along with Marie-Philip Poulin) became the sixth and seventh members of the (not yet recognized by the IIHF) Triple Gold Club for Women (having won gold in the Olympic Games, the IIHF World Championships, and the Clarkson Cup). Ward, having also claimed her CIS title, became a member of the Canadian Grand Slam Club, a Frozen Four Win would've qualified her for a grand slam but the CIS win makes it a Canadian Grand Slam.

=Personal= Catherine was born February 27th 1987 to Lise and Patrick Ward in Longeuil, Quebec despite being raised in Montréal. Her brother, David, and her father were always playing hockey, prompting Catherine to join the sport. She played with the Lac St-Louis AHM. Her high school years were spent at l'école secondaire Sacre-Coeur-du-Notre-Dame, a French private school located in Montréal, where she set their all-time records for points, goals and assists. She attended McGill University then Boston University where she attained her MBA while playing for their school teams. Ward's favourite female athlete is Chantal Peticlerc, a wheelchair athlete. Her favourite sport other than hockey is soccer. She enjoys the movie City of God and the TV show One Tree Hill. Ward's preferred NHL team is the Montréal Canadiens (Habs), the sibling team of her own Montréal Stars. She enjoys cooking and travelling. Pre-game traditions include a coffee before every game and a meal of pasta and chicken but ideally, chicken stir-fry.

Career stats
Ward has played for Lac St-Louis AHM, école secondaire Notre-Dame-du-Sacre-Coeur, the McGil Martlets Varsity Women's Team, Team Canada U-22, Boston Terriers Varsity Women's Team, Team Canada National Women's Team and the Montréal Stars.

CIS

 * McGill Athlete of the Week: Sep 29, 08 – Oct 05, 08
 * McGill Most outstanding defenceman award 2009
 * Won silver with Canada Under 22 team at the 2009 MLP Nations Cup in Germany
 * CIS Rookie of the Year, 2007
 * CIS First Team All-Canadian 2007, Defence
 * CIS First Team All-Canadian 2008, Defence
 * CIS First Team All-Canadian 2009, Defence
 * CIS Women's Hockey Championship, Most Valuable Player, 2009
 * QSSF Rookie of the Year, 2007
 * Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week (Week of January 31, 2011)

NCAA

 * 2011 Second Team All-America selection