Keith Ballard announces retirement

Keith Ballard has hung up the blades.

The 10-year NHL defenseman has retired from professional hockey, an announcement made official one year after suffering his last concussion.

Ballard is still seeing specialists and suffers from symptoms "here and there," as he told Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. But he's returned to the University of Minnesota to finish his degree and is moving along in the next chapter of his life.

The former Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, and Minnesota Wild defenseman played 600 games. He scored 38 goals, collected 137 assists, and racked up 612 penalty minutes.