Kings sign Taylor Ward to two-year contract extension
The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Taylor Ward to a two-year contract extension, the club announced Monday afternoon.
Ward, 27, has two goals and four points in nine games with the Kings this season. The Kelowna, B.C. product has also skated in 32 games with the AHL’s Ontario Reign this year, amassing 12 goals and 21 points.
Per the Kings’ own press release, Ward’s new contract with the club carries an $875,000 NHL cap hit through 2028. His previous deal, worth $775,000 per season, had been set to expire after the 2025-26 season.
WARD-O 📝 We've signed forward Taylor Ward to a two-year deal! 📲 bit.ly/4rfW9z0 @Enterprise | #GoKingsGo
A four-year veteran of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Ward — whose father, Dixon, appeared in 537 NHL games during his own career — originally signed with the Kings as an undrafted collegiate player in 2022.
Ward made his NHL debut with the Kings in the 2024-25 season, scoring his first NHL goal in his first game. With his doing so, the Wards became the first father-son duo in Kings history to both score goals with the team; Dixon spent part of the 1993-94 season in L.A., scoring six goals in 34 games.
To date, Ward has spent most of his professional career with the Reign, although he is currently on the Kings’ active roster. The 6’2″ winger has 47 goals and 116 points through 256 games over parts of five AHL seasons in Ontario.
Before heading to Nebraska-Omaha, Ward played his junior hockey with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, helping them win a league championship in 2017 and later serving as an alternate captain. He was named a second team All-American with Nebraska-Omaha as a senior in 2021-22.
Through 10 career NHL games with the Kings, Ward has collected three goals and five points while averaging 11:37 of ice time. He’s taken 11 shots on goal and currently boasts a plus-3 career rating.