HURRICANES AGREE TO TERMS WITH GOALTENDER CAM WARD

Team’s 2002 First-Round Selection was 2003-04 WHL Player of the Year

Cam Ward is surrounded by Canes execs at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft in Toronto.

RALEIGH, N.C. (May 13, 2004) – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with goaltender Cam Ward to a multi-year contract. Cam Ward makes 1.3 Million U.S. The Hurricanes selected Ward in the first round, 25th overall, at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

“Cam is an important part of the building blocks as we continue improving our team,” said Rutherford. “He is the best prospect in our system and he has had an excellent career thus far. We look forward to him developing further at the professional level.”

In 2003-04, Ward posted a 31-16-8 record, a 2.05 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League. He won the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as WHL Player of the Year and the Del Wilson Trophy as Goaltender of the Year, along with being named runner up for the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy, the WHL’s humanitarian award. In the WHL playoffs, Ward led the Rebels to the semifinals before falling in six games to eventual champion Medicine Hat.

Ward turns professional following three complete seasons with Red Deer in which he posted a 102-40-15 regular-season record, 2.12 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 160 regular-season games. In three playoff seasons, Ward recorded a 38-27 record, a 2.01 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, twice leading Red Deer to the WHL finals. In 2001-02 he posted the WHL’s best goals-against average (2.27) and was named Red Deer Rookie of the Year, WHL Goaltender of the Year and was selected to the WHL’s Eastern Conference First All-Star Team. The Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association named him WHL Goaltender of the Year in 2002-03.