Amateur While playing with the St. Louis AAA Blues during the 2016–17 season, McWard was drafted 80th overall by the
Tri-City Storm in the 2017
United States Hockey League Phase I draft. Although he remained with the Blues through 2018, he also played with the Westminster Wildcats at the
Westminster Christian Academy and helped them to back-to-back state championships. As a result of his outstanding play, McWard was a member of Team USA that won the 2017 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in
Ostrava, Czech Republic. but remained with the Wildcats and Blues for the remainder of the season. McWard joined the Tri-City Storm full-time during the 2018–19 season and scored his first career USHL goal on November 9, 2018. McWard finished his rookie season with the Storm accumulating one goal and five assists for six points through 48 games McWard returned to the Storm for the 2019–20 season, which was eventually shortened due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the league stopping play, McWard brokout with eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points through 48 games. On February 10, 2021, McWard was named the USHL's Defenseman of the Week after he led all Storm players with four goals over two games against the
Sioux Falls Stampede. He finished the season with a career-high 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points to rank fourth in scoring among all USHL defensemen. As a result, he was selected for the All-USHL Team Second Team.
Collegiate McWard played for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2021 to 2023. There, he enrolled in the
Fisher College of Business where he majored in business. He later scored his first collegiate goal on January 1, 2022, against the
LIU Sharks. McWard finished his freshman season at Ohio State with four goals and 12 assists for 16 points through 36 games. He was also recognized as an Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. In his sophomore season, McWard continued to build off his successful freshman season. By early December 2022, he had accumulated two goals and three assists and was recognized as the Big Ten Third Star of the Week.
Professional Vancouver Canucks On April 4, 2023, after his sophomore season at Ohio State concluded, McWard signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the
Vancouver Canucks. Two days following the signing, McWard made his NHL debut with the Canucks against the
Chicago Blackhawks. On June 20, 2024, the Canucks announced that they had re-signed McWard to a one-year, two-way contract. McWard once again started the season with Abbotsford to start the
2024–25 season. He was recalled to the NHL squad on December 5, 2024, but did not appear in a game with them before being sent down. Although McWard would not get the chance to play at the NHL level during the season, he did show his offensive potential in the AHL, recording six goals and 20 assists in 67 games. McWard would also score a goal and an assist in 12 games in the
Calder Cup playoffs as the Canucks would go on to win the
Calder Cup.
New York Islanders On July 1, 2025, McWard signed a one-year, two-way contract with the
New York Islanders. On January 3, 2026, after scoring five goals and 11 assists with the
Bridgeport Islanders, New York's
AHL affiliate, McWard was called up to the NHL, and made his Islanders debut that same day. McWard would play three games with New York, going scoreless, before getting sent back down to Bridgeport on January 24. On January 15, McWard was announced as Bridgeport's representation to the 2026
AHL All-Star Classic as part of the Atlantic Division Team. McWard would finish his first season with the Islanders organization scoring six goals and 21 assists in 63 games with Bridgeport, and going scoreless in two playoff games. ==Career statistics==