Minnesota native Keith Ballard knows what it takes to be a solid, steady defenseman. After winning two NCAA Championships with the University of Minnesota in 2002 and 2003, Ballard turned pro and has now played in over 570 NHL games for four teams, including your Minnesota Wild.

During his long hockey career, which began on the frozen ponds of Baudette, Minnesota, and has extended to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Ballard has learned the many nuances of playing defense. Minnesota Hockey talked to Ballard after a recent Wild practice to get some tips on playing defense.

Find What Fits Your Style: Ballard wants young hockey players to know that there’s more than just one way to play defense.

“I think there are different things that can make different players successful,” Ballard explains. “Look at the way [Minnesota Wild defenseman] Ryan Suter plays. He thinks about the game so well, and his positioning is just so good. But then there may be a bigger player like [Wild defenseman] Clayton Stoner, who is physically dominant and uses his size, his body, and strength a little more than Suter.”

A closer look at the differences of Ballard’s fellow defensemen further illustrates this point: Jared Spurgeon is one of the smaller defenseman in the NHL but extremely smart with the puck, Nate Prosser provides a tough and nasty edge, and Marco Scandella uses his quickness to rush the puck up the ice.

“There are many different attributes a young player can have,” says Ballard. “One is not more important than the other.”

It’s All About Fundamentals: The fundamentals of the game are always going to be important no matter what your level. But sometimes the basic skills—skating, passing and shooting—are pushed aside to work on systems or penalty kill and power play.  Those are important but don’t forget to keep developing your fundamental skills.

“To execute clean breakout passes, being able to skate well and find the open guy and get them the puck, that doesn’t change whether you’re 10 or 30 years old,” Ballard explains. “You have to be able to do these little things well to be a good hockey player.”

Three Zones of Defense: Ballard openly admits that the speed of hockey has changed. Even with technologically advanced equipment and specialized training, all of today’s hockey players need to do one thing really well to succeed.

“You have to be able to skate well,” he says. “I think the way that the game is played today, skating is definitely the most important aspect to playing in all three zones of the ice.”

Shoot the Puck: One of the other major keys in the development of a defenseman is getting pucks to the net. His advice for all young defensemen is to work on their shot as often as they can.

“Guys that can shoot the puck well get more opportunities, whether on the power play or other offensive situations,” says Ballard. “You see guys today shooting 90 mph. Players don’t want to block those shots as much. So, there are more pucks getting to the net, which means more opportunities. They’ll get more chances, and this leads to more goals.”

But that doesn’t mean it has to be a big, booming slapshot. Oftentimes, a simple wrister or snap shot will do trick. Get it to the net any way you can, and hopefully you create rebound opportunities for your teammates. Who knows—maybe it will go in!

Enjoy the View: When Ballard was a youth hockey player and first switched from forward to defense, he noticed one striking difference between the two positions.

“Wingers are always stuck on the wall,” says Ballard. “They just go up and down the ice.”

He believes that defensemen have the best view of the whole rink, and this creates a unique advantage.

“Young players should take the time to watch how the play develops in front of defenseman,” he notes. “This will teach them when to jump into the play and get more involved. The play is in front of you, and that allows the best perspective on the ice.”

Best Advice: “Growing up in Baudette, I played and practiced as a kid because I enjoyed it. It was a fun time for me and my friends,” Ballard recalls. “If it wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t have played. I wouldn’t have put in as much time in. I wouldn’t have skated as much on my own, on the pond, on the river. For me, hockey was all about having a good time with my friends.”

Even when things aren’t going well and your play and team record might be in a slump, Ballard believes in positive thinking and hard work.

“We’ve got to remember, even now in the NHL, it’s still fun to come to rink, still feels good to put the work in, even when you’re not enjoying the results.”