Cole McWard Bio
Cole McWard is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Bridgeport Islanders in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). McWard played collegiate hockey at The Ohio State University.
Early Life and Background
Cole McWard was born on June 9, 2001, in Fenton, Missouri, to parents Tina and Patrick. He began skating at the age of three after watching his older brother Gannon start playing ice hockey. McWard first played organized ice hockey with the Meramec Sharks before playing on multiple single-A and double-AA hockey teams during his formative years.
Path to Hockey
While playing with the St. Louis AAA Blues during the 2016–17 season, McWard was drafted 80th overall by the Tri-City Storm in the 2017 United States Hockey League Phase I draft. He remained with the Blues through 2018 and also played with the Westminster Wildcats at the Westminster Christian Academy, helping them to back-to-back state championships. McWard was a member of Team USA that won the 2017 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Ostrava, Czech Republic. He made his USHL debut on December 28, 2017, as an affiliate list call-up but continued with the Wildcats and Blues for the remainder of the season. McWard finished the 2017–18 season with 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points with the Wildcats and was named to the USHL All-Academic Team.
Cole McWard Career
Early Career (2023)
McWard played for the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio State University from 2021 to 2023. He enrolled in the Fisher College of Business, majoring in business. McWard scored his first collegiate point, an assist, on October 15 during a game against the UConn Huskies and later scored his first collegiate goal on January 1 against the LIU Sharks. He finished his freshman season at Ohio State with four goals and 12 assists for 16 points through 36 games, earning recognition as an Ohio State Scholar-Athlete.
Breakthrough (2023)
On April 4, 2023, after his sophomore season at Ohio State concluded, McWard signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks. Two days later, he made his NHL debut with the Canucks against the Chicago Blackhawks and scored his first career NHL goal in his second game against the Calgary Flames on April 9. McWard started the 2023–24 season with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. He was called up to Vancouver on November 24, 2023, playing one game before being sent back down.
Notable Works and Milestones
McWard’s signature work includes his performance in the AHL and his early contributions to the NHL. He showcased his offensive potential in the AHL, scoring six goals and 20 assists in 67 games during the 2024-25 season.
Cole McWard Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Cole McWard has not received any notable award nominations as of yet.
Cole McWard Awards Won
Cole McWard has not won any awards during his professional career thus far.
Cole McWard Family
Cole McWard was born to Patrick and Tina McWard. There are no further details available about his family life.
Personal Life
There are no public details available regarding Cole McWard’s personal life, including relationships or children.