Keith Galen Ballard, born on November 26, 1982, is an American former professional ice hockey player. A defenseman, he previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild. Ballard is a two-way defenseman, capable of contributing both offensively and defensively.
This article explores the career of Keith Ballard, highlighting his achievements in college hockey, his transition to the NHL, and his international play.
Early Career
Ballard played two seasons at the junior level in the United States Hockey League (USHL), initially with the United States National Development Team in 1999-00, then the Omaha Lancers the following season. He recorded 51 points over 56 games in 2000-01.
Collegiate Career
In 2001-02, Ballard began a three-year tenure of college hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), a conference within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He joined a defensive corps in Minnesota that included future NHL players Jordan Leopold and Paul Martin.
Ballard was a much-anticipated freshman and was named the WCHA's pre-season rookie of the year. Making his collegiate debut on October 5, 2001, he notched two assists against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Ballard started his rookie campaign on a six-game point streak that included two goals and four assists. Recording 10 goals and 23 points over 41 games total as a freshman, he earned WCHA All-Rookie Team honors.
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In the first round of the subsequent WCHA playoffs, he scored the series-clinching goal in overtime to eliminate North Dakota. The Golden Gophers advanced to the 2002 NCAA Championships, where they captured their first of back-to-back national titles.
Ballard was named an alternate captain in his third year and produced 11 goals and 36 points over 37 games.
During his junior and final season in 2003-2004, he was a key leader for his team, producing 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points in 37 games. His impressive performance earned him a Top 10 nomination for the Hobey Baker Award. That year, he was also named a First-Team All-American and the team’s most valuable player as voted by his teammates. He helped the Golden Gophers win back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2002 and 2003, and was a key part of the program’s success during his time there.
NHL Draft and Early Professional Career
Ballard was selected in the first round, 11th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. The choice was seen as a surprise by draft observers, as he was projected to be a late first-round to second-round pick. Ballard himself professed the early selection to be unexpected, saying he was ready to be drafted between the 20th and 40th positions. Scouting reports listed him as a puck-rushing offensive defenseman with comparisons to Phil Housley.
Before making his NHL debut, he was traded twice.
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Ballard signed with Phoenix a year later to an entry-level contract worth an annual $1.2 million over three years, including bonuses. With his NHL contract, he decided to forgo his senior year of college hockey.
Due to the NHL lockout, Ballard made his professional debut in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Coyotes' minor league affiliate, the Utah Grizzlies in 2004-05. He notched two goals and 20 points over 60 games in his professional rookie campaign.
NHL Career
As NHL resumed play the following season, Ballard played his first game with the Coyotes on October 5, 2005, against the Vancouver Canucks. He scored his first NHL goal in his debut, beating goaltender Dan Cloutier. Ballard finished with 8 goals and 39 points as a rookie; both remain career highs. He led all NHL defensemen in shorthanded goals with three.
Ballard was sidelined for 13 games in his second NHL season due to a bone fracture in his hand, suffered while blocking a shot during a game on October 9, 2006. He went on to record 27 points in 69 games.
Ballard went on to tally 34 points during his first campaign with Florida in 2008-09.
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The following season, on November 30, 2009, Ballard was involved in an on-ice incident that injured his own teammate, goaltender Tomáš Vokoun. After being on the ice for a goal during a game against the Atlanta Thrashers, Ballard aimed to smash his stick in frustration against the post and mistakenly hit Vokoun in the mask. Vokoun was taken from the ice on a stretcher and suffered a cut on his ear that required stitches; he missed two games before returning to the lineup.
Ballard, who apologized to Vokoun following the game, was not disciplined by the Panthers or the NHL. However, there has been some controversy over whether the slash to Vokoun's head was intentional or not. He went on to match his career-high eight goals and added 20 assists for 28 points in his second season with the Panthers.
On June 25, 2010, during the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Ballard was traded to the Vancouver Canucks (along with Victor Oreskovich) in exchange for Michael Grabner, Steve Bernier and Vancouver's first-round pick, the 25th overall selection ultimately used to select Quinton Howden.
After spending two months of the off-season on crutches while recovering from surgery, he reported to the Canucks' training camp, but struggled in the pre-season. Four games into the regular season, he suffered a concussion after being hit into the boards by Los Angeles Kings forward Brad Richardson on October 16, 2010. He was subsequently sidelined for five games.
However, upon returning to the lineup, his play continued to struggle. Averaging 13 minutes of ice time a game, he was eventually taken out of the lineup for four games in November by Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault. It marked the first time in his career he was a healthy scratch.
After being re-insterted into the lineup, he scored his first goal as a Canuck in a 6-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on November 26.
Several months later, Ballard suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee during a game against the Ottawa Senators on February 7, 2011. The injury resulted from opposing forward Milan Michalek tripping him from behind, which Canucks general manager Mike Gillis pointed out did not occur anywhere near the puck, alluding to the play as illegal and disrespectable.
Ballard finished his first regular season with career lows in games played (65), goals (2), assists (5), points (7) and average ice time per game (15 minutes and 14 seconds). His individual struggles came amidst a franchise record season for the Canucks, who won the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's regular season champion for the first time in team history.
Entering the playoffs as the first seed in the West, the Canucks advanced past the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks to qualify for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the Boston Bruins, Vancouver lost the Stanley Cup in Game 7. Over the team's 25 playoff games, Ballard dressed for 10.
Ballard continued to be used as a third-pairing defenseman in his second season with Vancouver. He missed five contests in November and December 2011 due to a back injury, before sustaining a season-ending concussion on February 5, 2012. Initially undetected, the injury was caused by two separate hits during a game against the Colorado Avalanche. He remained in the lineup for the following contest before being diagnosed with the injury.
His season ended with 1 goal and 7 points over 47 games.
His third season with the Canucks was shortened by the 2012-13 NHL lockout. When the season started, Ballard was again on the Canucks' third pairing, with Tanev. Early in the season, the two were the Canucks' most consistent pairing. An injury to Kevin Bieksa allowed Andrew Alberts to get into the line-up and split the Ballard-Tanev pairing.
With the salary cap decreasing in the 2013 off-season, Vancouver needed to unload salary. Ballard had two years remaining on his contract with an annual value $4.2 million. The Canucks tried to trade Ballard in an attempt to avoid using a compliance buyout on him.
In his second season with the Wild, Ballard was hit by the New York Islanders' Matt Martin after making a pass. The hit was delivered as Ballard turned away from Martin. Ballard's head struck a glass partition and as he fell his head bounced off the ice. He lay on the ice for a few minutes before being able to leave the ice on his own. Ballard suffered a concussion and multiple facial fractures as a result.
After his time in college, Ballard went on to play professionally, drafted 11th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 604 NHL games over a 10-year career with the Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, and Minnesota Wild. He was a physically spirited player known for his hard-hitting style and solid defensive play. Ballard was also an offensive threat, particularly in his early career, where he had a career-high 39 points as a rookie.
| Team | Years | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Coyotes | 2005-2008 | 222 | 18 | 59 | 77 |
| Florida Panthers | 2008-2010 | 143 | 16 | 38 | 54 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 2010-2013 | 159 | 4 | 19 | 23 |
| Minnesota Wild | 2013-2015 | 80 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
Ballard Swings and Hits Vokoun in the Head 11/30/2009
International Play
Ballard made his international debut with Team USA at the 2000 IIHF World U18 Championships in Switzerland. He was named to the squad while playing in the National Under-18 Development Program for the 1999-2000 season. He contributed a goal and an assist in six games, as the United States finished in eighth place.
Two years later, Ballard was named to the under-20 squad for the 2001 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic. He played in seven games, recording a goal and an assist.
Following his third year with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Ballard debuted with the United States men's team for the 2004 World Championships in the Czech Republic. Three years later, Ballard began a three-year stretch of consecutive appearances at the World Championships.