Keith Ballard

Keith Ballard is an American defenseman on the Vancouver Canucks.

Ballard was drafted in the 1st round by the Buffalo Sabres. He played three years of college hockey at the University of Minnesota. He was traded to Colorado and then Phoenix before ever playing in the NHL. He played three solid seasons with the Coyotes, finishing with 39, 27 and 21 points. He was traded to Florida in the 2008 offseason, and spent two seasons with the Panthers, scoring 62 points in 164 games. He is now infamous for chopping teammate Tomas Vokoun in the head accidentally, as he tried to smash his stick on the goalpost after a goal was scored against the Panthers. In 2010, he was signed by the Canucks to help bolster the depth of their defensive corps.

Ballard played for Team USA at the 2008 World Junior Championships.