Keith Ballard
Keith Galen Ballard (born November 26, 1982) is an American former professional
ice hockey defenseman who previously played in the
National Hockey League with the
Phoenix Coyotes,
Florida Panthers,
Vancouver Canucks and
Minnesota Wild. He played
college hockey for the
Minnesota Golden Gophers of the
Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) for three seasons. After his freshman year, he was selected 11th overall by the
Buffalo Sabres in the
2002 NHL Entry Draft. Before he made his NHL debut, he was traded twice – initially to the
Colorado Avalanche, then to the
Phoenix Coyotes. He played his professional rookie season in
2004–05 with the Coyotes'
American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the
Utah Grizzlies, then debuted with Phoenix the
following season. After three years, he was traded to the
Florida Panthers, where he spent two seasons before being dealt to Vancouver at the
2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Internationally, Ballard has represented the
United States in four
World Championships, winning bronze in
2004. He has also played in two
junior tournaments – the
2000 IIHF World U18 Championships and
2002 World Junior Championships.
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