Minnesota State has announced the hiring of Troy G. Ward as associate head coach with the Mavericks.
Ward comes to Minnesota State after spending the 2022-23 season with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers as general manager.
“Troy brings an element to our staff that is one of high-end experience,” said Minnesota State head coach Luke Strand in a statement. “He is a very talented coach on and off the ice. Most importantly, however, Troy will be a teacher and servant leader to our players. I am thrilled to be working alongside Troy again.”
“It’s a privilege and an honor to join the Mavericks,” added Ward. “I remember playing against the Mavericks back in the NCHA as both a player and a coach dating back to Coach Don Brose. Maverick hockey is a program of excellence and I look forward to continuing the tradition.”
Ward’s extensive coaching background includes stops in junior, collegiate, and professional hockey.
Owning an undergraduate and master’s degree from UW-Eau Claire, Ward started his career there serving as both an assistant and head coach. After beginning as an assistant for the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons, Ward then spent three seasons as the head coach of the BluGolds, picking up 45 wins, including an 18-win season in 1989-90. Those 18 wins were the most single-season wins in program’s history at the time.
From 1990-93, Ward spent time as an assistant coach at Denver. From there, it was on to the USHL, where Ward headed the Dubuque Fighting Saints from 1993 to 1995.
Ward then made the jump to the NHL, spending three years with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1997 to 2000 as an assistant coach.
From 2002 to 2005, Ward was on the bench at Wisconsin as associate head coach.
Sandwiched around his time at Wisconsin, Ward had two stints in the ECHL, one with the Trenton Titans (2000-01) and a second stop with the Victoria Salmon Kings (2005-06). While with Trenton, Ward captured the North Conference title and was voted the ECHL Coach of the Year.
From 2007 to 2008, Ward was an assistant coach with the Houston Aeros of the AHL, serving as the team’s defensive coordinator, with responsibilities including spearheading the penalty kill. Ward then added front office duties on top of his on-ice coaching duties, as he also served as the Aeros assistant GM from 2008 to 2010.
The experience with the Aeros created another opportunity, as Ward went on to serve as an assistant with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat from 2010 to 2011 before earning head coaching responsibilities from 2011 to 2014.
Ward was then with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants (2014) and the USHL’s Madison Capitols (2015-16), before taking the helm with the Linz Black Wings (Aug. 2017-Jan. 2019) of the International Central European Hockey League, leading the squad to the semifinals of the EBL in 2018.
More recently, Ward spent time from 2019-2022 as a U.S. amateur scout with the Vancouver Canucks.
