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 Mavericks where he led the team with 39 points (19-20=39) in 38 games. The Kelowna, British Columbia native played four years at UNO, 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 his time in 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.

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