Ward’s dream comes true as he joins Providence Bruins
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Ryan Ward started his hockey journey at the age of 13 in Rhode Island as the stick boy for the American Hockey League's Providence Bruins.
Things are coming full circle for the coach as it was announced that he would be joining the Bruins' staff for the upcoming season, leaving behind a strong legacy after four seasons in Youngstown. Ward finished his time in the Mahoning Valley with a 156-70-13-9 mark, just eight wins shy of tying the Phantoms' all-time record.
While the decision to leave Youngstown was far from an easy one, the opportunity to coach in the organization he grew up cheering for was too good to pass up.
"When you're 13, you tell people what your dreams are, and I think it's quick for people to be (dismissive) like, 'Oh yeah, great,'" Ward said. "I think when this came up, the realization of getting to walk back into that rink, and instead of watching from the entryway to the ice to be behind the bench and be part of the (Bruins' franchise is amazing.) You grow up rooting for the Boston Bruins, and I just think it's a dream come true. It's actually more than that. It's kind of just a surreal moment, to be honest. It's like hitting the lottery. Like you don't ever think it's gonna come true, and then it does.
"This whole past week has been surreal. Like, just the text message I've gotten from people back home, and the message I've gotten from people inside the organization. It just kind of makes everything worthwhile, like all the sacrifices, the moving, the you know, being away from your kids, and even my parents when I was 13 picking me up at 4 in the morning, getting back from a road trip. It kind of makes everything worthwhile."
The process went quickly. Ward was a hot commodity on the coaching market this offseason, also fielding an offer from Harvard. But when Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney called him about the Providence job, it was hard to turn it down.
He joins the staff of Trent Whitfield, a former player and captain for the Bruins, as well as an assistant coach in the organization for the last 10 seasons.
The two worked together before, having run youth hockey camps in Rhode Island in years past. Ward has also coached against Whitfield's son Colton, who spent parts of three seasons with the Tri-City Storm.
"Adding Ryan Ward to our Providence staff is a significant addition for our organization," Sweeney said in the press release announcing the hire. "Ryan joins Trent's staff as an accomplished coach with a proven track record of success and a strong commitment to developing players. We are excited to welcome Ryan and his family back to familiar surroundings in Providence."
Ward will run the Bruins' defense and penalty kill units.
Two former Phantoms from the Brad Patterson era are on the Bruins roster, forwards Joey Abate (2017-19) and Riley Duran (2020-21). While a couple years away from professional hockey, Cooper Simpson (2025-26) is in the Bruins' prospect pool as well.
"I'm really excited to get to meet Joey, really excited to get to meet Riley. Obviously, (Simpson is) coming through the system in the next couple of years, which will be hilarious. He already texted me and said something. I'm actually not sure what. I don't think it was English, but that's typical (Simpson)," Ward said with a laugh. "Super excited that we have a Youngstown connection, and hopefully there's more to come. Providence has always had a big Youngstown connection, so I'm glad I get to keep that going a little bit."
When it comes to memories, a championship your first year with a team is hard to top, but thinking back to his first season with the Phantoms, Ward recalled a moment that will stand out for the rest of his life.
"Walking outside the rink before Game 3 of the Clark Cup Finals and seeing the amount of people that were there. I think seeing my water bottle shake on my desk and walking into the concourse and hearing the DJ playing before Game 3 and just knowing we were going to win that night. That was something that I'll remember forever," Ward said.
If there's one thing Ward learned in Youngstown, it's the importance of human connection when building a team.
Between great connections with the players and great connections with the staff, success starts with having people around that you trust and can believe in. The "no man is an island" philosophy is one Ward expects to carry with him throughout the rest of his career.
"The last four years have been an absolute dream. I think working with Jason Deskins every day, working with the staff that we've had from Amber Martinelli to Tommy (Malloy) to (Andrew Rush) to Steve Smith, Andy Contois, Brandon Gotkin and going down the line. I think the most important thing that you take away from it is you can build something really special just based on the type of people you have around you and the type of people you have in an organization," Ward said. "I think that trust and care and loving each other goes a long way. Four years ago when we got here, I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea. It was a giant leap of faith. My family was living in Illinois. I was on a one-year contract, and building this into a place that everyone wants to play junior hockey, it took so many people to work as hard as they possibly could. I think a little trust, a little love and a little belief goes so far.
"It's so hard to leave Youngstown. It's so hard to leave this place. The community has been unbelievable, and I just think moving forward, it gives you the confidence that truly, when you believe in something and when you have a vision and you work with a great group of people that share your vision that are aligned, that want to work as hard as you do and that believe in it as much as you do, you can accomplish really anything."
Ward and his family plan to still reside in the Mahoning Valley. What started as him taking a chance on a new job opportunity, turned into finding a place worth settling down. For Ward, Youngstown is home.
"We want to be part of this community. It's a wonderful place to raise a family, and the way that the community has accepted us into this area is something we certainly won't forget," Ward said. "The people are wonderful, and our fans are great. Our billet families, our staff. We're Phantoms for life. This is a new chapter, but we just want to say thank you because it was such a wonderful experience and something that we certainly won't forget, and something we definitely don't take for granted."