Kings sign winger Taylor Ward to one-year contract

Ward spent nearly the entire 2024-25 season with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, scoring 12 goals and adding 15 assists for 27 points in 66 regular-season games.

He made his NHL debut on April 17 against the Calgary Flames, scoring his first career goal. It is the only regular-season NHL game he has played.

Through four AHL seasons, Ward has 35 goals and 60 assists for 95 points in 224 regular-season games, all with the Reign.

An undrafted winger, Ward signed with Los Angeles in 2022 after playing four years of NCAA college hockey with the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In 131 career games, he’s scored 57 goals and 58 assists for 115 points. His best season came in 2021-22, scoring 19 goals and adding 20 assists for 39 points in 39 games.

Before enrolling at Nebraska-Omaha, Ward spent parts of four seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) with the Penticton Vees. In 162 regular-season games, he recorded 36 goals and 41 assists for 77 points. He also scored 11 goals to go with 14 assists for 25 points in 44 BCHL playoff games, helping the Vees win two BCHL Championships in 2015 and 2017.

In 2024-25, the Kings posted a record of 48-25-9 with 105 points, second in the Pacific Division. They were eliminated in six games by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Andrian Kempe led the team in points with 73, scoring 35 goals and adding 38 assists. The 37-year-old Anze Kopitar was seconding points with 67, recording 21 goals and 46 assists.