Aaron Ward Interviews - Ward - Former 'M' icer reects on life as a Cup champion

Ward - Former 'M' icer reects on life as a Cup champion
October 20, 1997


As a star student-athlete at Michigan, Aaron Ward frequently brought his teammates with him to help different charitable programs. One of the most rewarding experiences for Ward was visiting sick children at Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. Now a member of the Detroit Red Wings, Ward again visited Mott's this past summer. This time he brought with him the Stanley Cup - the most coveted award for all hockey fans, and the award that now has his name on it.
In his second full season with the Wings, Ward hasn't forgotten his days at the University. From the good memories of winning the CCHA regular season, to the frustrating days when he chose to forego his senior year to play professionally, Ward remembers it all. He can even repeat most of the Yost Ice Arena cheers verbatim.
The Daily's Jordan Field recently sat down with Ward to talk about what he learned from the University, winning the Stanley Cup and, of course, those insane Michigan hockey cheers.
Daily: Could you have ever imagined that you would be so fortunate to be a part of a Stanley Cup championship so early in your professional career?
Ward: Winning the Cup is something I never could have foreseen happening. I went through college three years and we came so close those years to winning, but after winning this championship you realize that it takes is so much more to reach the level of play to win a championship. I am very fortunate to be a part of this team, and to have experience what we did last season.
D: What do you see as the biggest differences between the college and the professional game?
W: Well, first I guess you feel a little more brave in college with the mask on. You don't need to be as aware with a mask protecting you. I went through college three years and you have to be more responsible for your stick, your elbows and aware of everyone else's. In the pros, you need to understand there are big guys out here that will make you pay for things you've done.
D: Other than the basic rule changes, what else has changed for you now that you are playing hockey as a job, rather than as a student for your University - especially comparing the rowdy Michigan hockey fans to the Joe Louis Arena fans?
W: It's so much of a different atmosphere in college. I still appreciate the days I played for the U-M crowd because we had a pep band, and fans that were so involved. Here, I wouldn't want to deem them the "true fans," but the fans that pay their money to come and wear their jersey, have their beer and yell until they lose their voice tend to be a little higher up in the stands. In college, we had those type fans right on top of you - and it was often the people that went to class with you. Back in college, I could be in the middle of the game and pick out someone in the stands and think, "Hey, I have Comm 101 with that guy," and he'd be in his hockey jersey cheering at the top of his lungs. I miss those days sometimes. I can still repeat all of the cheers.
D: I know that only a few people on the team got to the NHL, through the route you took, playing college hockey. For your teammates today who spent years in the OHL or WHL before making the NHL, what do you tell them about your experience?
W: I tell them all the time about my experience. Basically, I try to pass on some of the things I have gone through. You can see the excitement in their eyes when they hear my stories. I tell them that the fans in college really don't boo at you, and there is just such an incredible level of excitement playing in front of your classmates, and the University. I tell the guys the cheers from U-M and the favorite one for everyone from the OHL and the other junior leagues, is the one, "that goalie, he's not a goalie; he's a vacuum. He's not a vacuum; he's a black hole..." Everyone seems to enjoy hearing about college.
D: What were the most important things you learned from going to college?
W: I think the biggest thing I learned in college was to open up. When you grow up playing hockey like I did I was always around the same people, and we were all pretty much the same. All of my friends were hockey players then. But in college I found that I was in an environment where there were so many different people and so many different interests. I really learned to appreciate that. I can remember great experiences in the dorms, and working in study groups, where I learned a lot about the people I was with.
D: How has that helped you now at this stage in your life?
W: I think it has helped me after college, because when you get in an environment playing professional hockey, if you are smart enough and keen enough and aware enough to recognize so many opportunities that are present, you can really capitalize from the people around you. But, then again, I didn't learn Russian or Swedish in the dorms to help me here.

	I'm just kidding. I definitely feel more at ease because of my experience in college. I wasn't the kind of guy who spent his time only with his roommates, I went out and met people.
	D: You left Michigan after your junior year. What kind of decision was it for you to forgo your senior year?
	W: The hardest part about it was the negative reaction I received from people at the University who I felt were my friends. I felt there was a negative backlash toward my decision. And it came understandably, because I know people thought my senior year was going to be the year for me to step it up and play a big role. But I felt that I needed to make a decision, not selfishly, but in my best interest. I actually just got myself back in school, so that never stopped being a priority, but at the time hockey was what I felt I had to do.
D: You returned to campus over the summer for the hockey alumni game. Was that the first time you've been back to Yost since 1993?
W: It was the first time back since Yost had been remodeled. I haven't spent too much time in Ann Arbor since leaving because my life has changed since then. I'm married now, and, of course, busy here. I'll never forget the times there, but I've moved on with my life. But I guess in many ways I'm the same, because I still sit down every Saturday that I can to watch the Michigan game. I bought ESPN GamePlan so I can get every game on TV, so I'm still pretty die-hard.
D: It must have been nice to be able to stay in general area after leaving Ann Arbor to go play in Detroit. How has that helped you?
W: It's funny because, I came to the Wings and I wasn't a complete unknown to the fans. Maybe some had seen me play on PASS, or were Michigan fans, so its been great being able to stay. It made turning from college to pro just so much easier because I know the area, the media and the people. It was so much easier than going somewhere like Dallas, say that would have been new in every capacity.
D: I know over the summer you brought the Stanley Cup to Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. Has it always been important for you to help children?
W: Absolutely, and it was something that I learned at the University of Michigan. Many of the athletes at school were involved in charitable programs. I made a trip to Mott's once when I was in college. From my point of view, then I was a college athlete who didn't receive much notoriety, but to see so many smiles and the happiness that we were able to bring the children by visiting, it was something I'll never forget. So I figured that now if there was something I could give back to the University, I wanted it to be for something like this. It was exciting for me to return to Mott's. My wife had actually brought up the idea of taking the Cup to a hospital, and I knew I wanted to visit Mott's because I knew it was a class operation, and it was affiliated with U-M.
D: Has it sunken in yet that your name will forever be engraved on the Stanley Cup?
W: The other day we had a pre-game ceremony in which the Cup was there and I kept looking at it. I think it has sunken in that we won the Cup and that is just the ultimate goal for any hockey player. I know that my name will forever be on it, but there have been a couple times that I looked to see if my name was still there, and it was right there in the same spot. It's pretty unbelievable to think what we accomplished. Plus, I'll be pretty happy when I get that ring too.

Source: The Michigan Daily

NHL News

Navigation

Quick Links