Keith Ballard

United States Keith Ballard


Date of birth	November 26, 1982
place of birth	Baudette , Minnesota , USA
size	180 cm
Weight	91 kg

position	defender
Shot hand	Left

Draft

NHL Entry Draft	2002 , 1st round, 11th position Buffalo Sabers

Career stations

1999-2000	USA Hockey National Team Development Program
2000-2001	Omaha Lancers
2001-2004	University of Minnesota
2004-2008	Phoenix Coyotes
2008-2010	Florida panthers
2010-2013	Vancouver Canucks
2013-2015	Minnesota Wild

Keith Galen Ballard (born November 26, 1982 in Baudette , Minnesota ) is a retired American ice hockey player . The defender played over 600 National Hockey League games for the Phoenix Coyotes , Florida Panthers , Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild between 2004 and 2015 . With the national team of the United States he took part in four world championships and won the bronze medal in 2004 .

Career

Ballard in the Jersey of the Florida Panthers

Keith Ballard began his career as a hockey player in the United States Hockey League , in which he was on the ice from 1999 to 2001 for one season each for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and the Omaha Lancers. The defender then played for the University of Minnesota ice hockey team for three years . During this time he was selected in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft as the eleventh player in total by the Buffalo Sabers , who transferred him to the Colorado Avalanche a year later . Again just a year later, after his final year at university, Ballard was given up again, this time to the Phoenix Coyotes . During the NHL lockout in the 2004/05 season , Ballard made his professional ice hockey debut when he was on the ice for the then farm team of the Coyotes, the Utah Grizzlies from the American Hockey League .

After three years in the NHL team the Coyotes Ballard was on 20 June 2008 by Phoenix along with Nick Boynton and a previously by the Ottawa Senators received second-round vote in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Olli Jokinen of the Florida Panthers made.

In July 2013, the Vancouver Canucks paid out his contract early (buy out) . A few days later he signed a two-year contract with the Minnesota Wild . This was not extended afterwards, so Ballard was initially looking for a new employer. In December 2015, he then announced the end of his active career. In August 2016, the Minnesota Wild announced that Ballard would henceforth serve in their management.

International

For the USA Ballard took part in the U18 Junior World Championship 2000 , the U20 Junior World Championship 2002 , as well as the A World Championships in 2004 , 2007 , 2008 and 2009 . In 2004 Ballard won the bronze medal with the US national team at the World Cup.

Achievements and Awards

2001 Clark Cup win with the Omaha Lancers
2001 USHL First All-Star Team
2002 WCHA All-Rookie Team
2002 NCAA Division I Championship with the University of Minnesota
2003 WCHA championship with the University of Minnesota
2003 WCHA First All-Star Team

2003 NCAA Division I Championship with the University of Minnesota
2004 WCHA championship with the University of Minnesota
2004 WCHA First All-Star Team
2004 NCAA West First All-American Team
2005 AHL All-Star Classic

International

2004 bronze medal at the world championship

Career statistics

			Regular season					Play-offs
season	team	league	Sp	T	V	Pt	SM	Sp	T	V	Pt	SM
1999/00	US National Team Development Program	USHL	58	12	21st	33	119	-	-	-	-	-
2000/01	Omaha Lancers	USHL	56	22nd	29	51	168	10	1	6th	7th	8th
2001/02	University of Minnesota	WCHA	41	10	13	23	42
2002/03	University of Minnesota	WCHA	45	12	29	41	78
2003/04	University of Minnesota	WCHA	37	11	25th	36	83
2004/05	Utah grizzlies	AHL	60	2	18th	20th	88	-	-	-	-	-
2005/06	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL	82	8th	31	39	99	-	-	-	-	-
2006/07	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL	69	5	22nd	27	59	-	-	-	-	-
2007/08	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL	82	6th	15th	21st	85	-	-	-	-	-
2008/09	Florida panthers	NHL	82	6th	28	34	72	-	-	-	-	-
2009/10	Florida panthers	NHL	82	8th	20th	28	88	-	-	-	-	-
2010/11	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	65	2	5	7th	53	10	0	0	0	6th
2011/12	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	47	1	6th	7th	64	4th	0	1	1	2
2012/13	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	36	0	2	2	29	-	-	-	-	-
2013/14	Minnesota Wild	NHL	45	2	7th	9	37	3	0	0	0	0
2014/15	Minnesota Wild	NHL	14th	0	1	1	26th	-	-	-	-	-
USHL total			114	34	50	84	287	10	1	6th	7th	8th
WCHA overall			123	33	67	100	203
AHL total			60	2	18th	20th	88	-	-	-	-	-
NHL overall			605	38	137	175	612	17th	0	1	1	8th

International

Represented the USA at:

year	team	event	result	Sp	T	V	Pt	SM
2000	United States	U18 World Cup	8th place	6th	1	1	2	4th
2002	United States	U20 World Cup	5th place	7th	1	1	2	4th
2004	United States	WM		8th	1	0	1	2
2007	United States	WM	5th place	7th	0	3	3	16
2008	United States	WM	6th place	5	0	2	2	16
2009	United States	WM	4th Place	9	1	2	3	2
Juniors overall				13	2	2	4th	8th
Seniors total				29	2	7th	9	36

( Legend for player statistics: Sp or GP = games played; T or G = goals scored; V or A = assists scored ; Pkt or Pts = scorer points scored ; SM or PIM = penalty minutes received ; +/− = plus / minus balance; PP = overpaid goals scored ; SH = underpaid goals scored ; GW = winning goals scored; ¹ play-downs / relegation )

Web links

Commons : Keith Ballard - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Keith Ballard in the database of the National Hockey League (English)
Keith Ballard at legendsofhockey.net (English)
Keith Ballard at eliteprospects.com (English)

Individual evidence

^ Keith Ballard Joins Wild Front Office To Lead Little Wild Learn-To-Play Program. wild.nhl.com, August 31, 2016, accessed September 1, 2016 .

personal data
SURNAME	Ballard, Keith
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Ballard, Keith Galen (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American ice hockey player
DATE OF BIRTH	November 26, 1982
PLACE OF BIRTH	Baudette , Minnesota , USA

[1] Keith Ballard Joins Wild Front Office To Lead Little Wild Learn-To-Play Program. wild.nhl.com, August 31, 2016, accessed September 1, 2016 .