Aaron Ward Interviews - CCHA Aaron Ward Interview

CCHA Aaron Ward Interview
January 17, 2002

	Aaron Ward was named to the CCHA's All-Rookie Team in 1991 while at Michigan.
Aaron Ward, who is celebrating his 29th birthday today, participated in the Frozen Four in 1992 and 1993 as a member of the Michigan Wolverines. He turned professional following his junior season and has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup twice from the Detroit Red Wings championship teams of 1997 and 1998. Ward was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes last July after seven full seasons with the Detroit organization. CCHA correspondent Chip Power recently sat down with Ward to discuss his days at Michigan and the adjustments he has made at the NHL level.
CP: How is life in Raleigh, North Carolina after spending most of the past decade in Michigan, either with the Red Wings in Detroit or with the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
Ward: It’s a little warmer and it’s a fresh start for me at the professional level. It’s a good situation for me.
CP: How is it different for you as a player going from a place known as Hockeytown to a new market where fans are still learning about hockey and you are one of the teachers in the educational process?
Ward: That’s true, it is very much an educational process for the fans, but there are some benefits to that. If you’ve noticed at Red Wing home games there are occasionally some vacant seats and those people may be a little lethargic in their support. By that I mean, it’s not so important for them to watch the whole game, maybe they’ll go to the Olympia Room and have a couple of drinks. In Carolina, the enthusiasm is unbelievable and people are really making an effort to learn the game.
CP: You were involved in some wildly entertaining games at Joe Louis Arena as both an amateur and professional player. What are your fondest memories from your many games at the Joe as a member of the Michigan Wolverines?
Ward: Playing in the Great Lakes Invitational in my freshman season is a great memory. We played Michigan Tech in the first game and scored twice in the third period for a 2-1 win. Then we met Maine in the final when the Black Bears were ranked number one in the country. That year we were missing David Harlock and Patrick Neaton who were playing in the World Junior Championships. But we were still able to pull out a victory in the GLI and I was fortunate enough to score the game-winning goal against Maine. We won the GLI all three years I played but, of course, not all the memories from the Joe are great because Lake Superior beat us all three years in the CCHA championships there, including twice in the final.
CP: It’s said that you and your classmates helped set the tone for a tradition of excellence that continues today with the Wolverines program. How do you feel about that?
Ward: I really give credit to the class that was ahead of us. It really started with Harlock, Neaton, Chris Tamer, Dan Stiver and Mark Ouimet, where they really brought something to the table and Michigan hockey really started to take off. They were the guys that basically influenced my class with Steve Shields, Cam Stewart , Brian Wiseman, David Oliver and Mike Stone. They really got across the idea that they were trying to build something special at Michigan. It’s so noticeable now when I look around the NHL. I’m starting to feel old because I’m seeing guys in this league now that I heard Michigan was recruiting when I was three or four years out of school, and now I’m playing against them. We played San Jose recently and there was Jeff Jillson. It’s amazing to look around the National Hockey League and see how many Michigan players are in the league. I think my last count was 16 or 17, so it’s significant, and gratifying.
CP: Jillson made the decision this past summer to turn pro and it’s likely that Montreal draft pick Mike Komisarek will be faced with a similar decision at some point before his college eligibility has expired. Most NHL defenseman must serve an apprenticeship in the minors but did you think you would spend the better part of two seasons with Adirondack in the American Hockey League?
Ward: It’s almost inevitable that, as a defenseman, you’re going to have to spend some time in the minors, unless right out of the gate there’s a need at your NHL team’s level for you to be there. But you have to learn a lot about the pro game. It’s quite different than playing college. There’s more of a reserved style. I watch college hockey now and, in some capacity, wish I could still play it because of the fact it’s so open and everybody tries to run each other over. But at the same time when you get to this level, you really have to take a step back and do a lot of analyzing because it really is a very analytical game. Guys are so skilled that you have to step back and maybe not be as aggressive in your approach to the game.
CP: If you could go back, would you change anything about the three seasons you spent in the CCHA and at Michigan.
Ward: I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s great, I love Ann Arbor and I go back there every summer. I go to (Michigan associate coach) Mel Pearson’s pro camp in August. I’ve found myself a little bit of a system in how I work my summers and I spend a lot of time in Ann Arbor.

Source: CCHA.Com

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