Kings Sign Forward Taylor Ward to a One-Year Contract Extension

The LA Kings have signed forward Taylor Ward to a one-year, two-way contract extension worth an average annual value (AAV) of $775,000 through the 2023-24 season.

Ward, 25, recently completed his first full season with the Ontario Reign, the Kings' primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), registering 26 points (9-17=26) in 71 regular season contests and appearing in one Calder Cup Playoff game. The 6-2, 194-pound forward made his professional hockey debut with the Reign on March 20, 2022 against the Abbotsford Canucks following his senior season at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (NCHC) and has accumulated 36 points (12-24=36) in 87 career AHL outings.

Ward signed a one-year entry level contract with the Kings on March 19, 2022 and joined the Reign on an amateur tryout (ATO) following a career year as a senior with the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks where he led the team with 39 points (19-20=39) in 38 games. The Kelowna, British Columbia native played four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, totaling 115 points (57-58=115) over 131 games. He left Omaha ranked sixth in program history in goals, ninth in points and eighth in points-per-game (0.878, min. 50 games).

Prior to Omaha, he skated in parts of four seasons with the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), collecting 77 points (36-41=77) in 162 games while helping the Vees capture the 2016-17 Fred Page Cup as BCHL Champions.