Building Blue: Cole McWard Gets Comfortable in the AHL, Aiming to Take His Game to the Next Level in Year Two

The jump from NCAA hockey to the AHL sees a significant change in competition but also a change in a player’s day-to-day routine.

In his first year of pro hockey, Cole McWard was tallying hours of work on the ice and in the gym while learning what it meant to be a reliable pro hockey player. It required him to take a slightly different approach in the way he thought about the game.

The right-shot defenceman played 57 games for Abbotsford last year and signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the club in June.

He knew there was going to be an adjustment from college to pro hockey, but shortly after his sophomore season ended at The Ohio State University, he kicked off his pro career playing five NHL games at the end of the 2022-23 season, which gave him a taste of what to expect for his first full year with the Canucks.

“It was almost like being baptized by fire, coming in and playing in the NHL at the end of the last year, going into training camp with NHL players, and playing in the preseason helped get me ready for making the jump to the AHL level full-time. It was still a jump, and it was still a learning process, but it was something I felt comfortable with, and I was excited about – a healthy challenge that would move me forward in my career.”

Looking back on his first full AHL season, he sees the progress he’s made and important talking points during the year with the coaching staff that helped guide him.

“In conversations I had throughout the year, the message was to get my feet under me, and not to reach for the stars and try to make all these crazy plays, but do exactly what I need to do,” McWard said.

He leaned into one of his strengths, his skating ability, to help ease him into pro hockey. At an above-average skating level than his peers in the NCAA, he says everyone in the AHL is a better skater and so it wasn’t a competitive advantage, but more of a necessity when he joined Abbotsford. 

“I tried to use that to my advantage to lessen the gap and lessen the acclimation I’d have to do when I’m transitioning into the pro game. I think that skating is such a big part of the game, so that’s something I’ve always tried to focus on when I’m training in the summer, being an athletic type of skater and getting around the ice as powerfully as I can,” McWard said.

Throughout the season, the 23-year-old said the coaching staff taught him about what it means to be a reliable player within their system. Consistent execution of the details and game plan for every practice and game is where Mcward feels like he took a big step.

“I think it’s a mindset thing. You’re not trying to do too much and knowing that you have a role and that you’re adding value when you’re doing that for your team,” he said. “Whether you’re closing in and you’re keeping a really good gap so that they can’t get in on the rush with the puck, or you’re breaking the puck out and you’re working for your partner, your partner’s working for you, you’ve got your head up, you know what you’re going to do with it and you’re moving it up and getting it out of your zone,” McWard said. 

In talking about specific skills, he felt he made his biggest improvement on his box outs around the crease and saw his success unfold in real-time on the ice. He’s hoping to continue to build on that for next season and he’s focused on being a hard-nosed defender in front of the net, being aggressive in the corners and doing whatever he can do to help his team possess the puck.

Towards the end of the season and into the Calder Cup Playoffs, McWard solidified himself as a mainstay on the penalty kill. 

Abbotsford finished the regular season third in the league on the PK and first in the Western Conference with an 85 percent success rate.  

“I really liked getting the opportunity to grow in that and to earn my ice time on the PK towards the end of the year to where I was out there every penalty kill and having a penalty kill near the top of the league was awesome to take some ownership in that and be a part of that,” he said. 

His expectations for where he fits in on the PK next year vary depending on whether he makes the Vancouver squad or if he’s in Abbotsford.  

“If I come into training camp and I can make Vancouver then my expectations for ice time and where I’ll be playing will change. If I do end up in Abbotsford again, my goal is that I’m over the boards every single penalty kill we have, and I can be one of the d-men that’s blocking all the shots, stopping goals from happening, and being out there against the best players in the AHL,” he said.

While he’s focused on being a reliable defender his first pro season, he’s got a solid shot and he’s hoping to be able to flex it more next season. Last season there were times he overlooked his shot to make an extra pass or play, and with a year of pro hockey under his belt, he’s feeling confident to grow his offensive game. 

“I think the next step for me is adding that offence and I think that I have a whole lot more to add this year. I’m hoping I can show the coaching staff, management and my teammates that I can help out on the power play, I can make plays and hopefully I can use my shot a little bit,” McWard said.

McWard notched 17 points (4-13-17) and in six playoff games, the right shot defenceman collected an assist.

Adding stats is a byproduct of playing the right way and something he’s working to do at a higher-level next season. 

He made great connections with his teammates and learned by example from a number of defencemen. He had the opportunity to play alongside Quinn Hughes at training camp and in preseason games last year which he said was a “huge help”. Christian Wolanin and Matt Irwin were also great mentors to McWard and it’s been invaluable for him to be around two guys who set a standard in Abbotsford.

“Watching those guys definitely impacted me and helped me improve,” McWard said, adding, “Christian Wolanin was awesome to me. He was one of my very good friends on the team and took me under his wing. He makes some great plays, but the way he carries himself off the ice is just as great. Matt Irwin is somewhat of a father figure on the team, but also has that fun personality. He’s always in every conversation and is a very team-oriented guy. Hearing him tell stories and talk about his days when he’s played in the NHL and played in the Western Conference Finals makes him someone you can really learn from and someone you can absolutely respect.”

Taking the example from Irwin, McWard says he was able to reach another level as a hockey player in Abbotsford because of the coaching staff and support system around him to help him.

He's built the foundation for his pro career during his first season in the AHL and is looking to take his game to new heights next season.