McWard joined the Canucks as a College free agent signing. The undrafted American had been lining up with the Ohio State University and the steady progression he showed convinced the Canucks that he was worthy of an NHL deal. He filled a real need in the Canucks depth chart as a big-bodied right-hand shot defenseman.
McWard joined the Canucks for 5 regular seasons game and gained invaluable experience which gave him the opportunity to see exactly what he needed to work on over the summer. In 5 games, he managed to score his first NHL goal and moving forward, we can only expect more.