After making a name for himself in the Upper Valley high school hockey scene, Mason Ballard is doing the same as a member of the newly crowned Eastern Hockey League Premier (EHLP) champion New Hampshire Avalanche.
Ballard, a Canaan native who played high school hockey for the Lebanon-Stevens-Mascoma co-op, helped secure a championship for the Hooksett, N.H.-based junior hockey team on Saturday in Providence, R.I.
The Avalanche defeated the New Jersey 87s in a best-of-three series, 2-1, clinching the title with a 4-3 win this past weekend. Ballard had an assist in the deciding contest.
The 17-year-old, who tallied more than 70 points in two years as a member of the Raiders and was a multi-time All-State selection, elected to play junior hockey as a member of the EHLP Avalanche rather than stay for his senior season in an effort to play Division I college hockey.
The EHLP is a developmental division of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL), which bills itself as “a junior hockey league that is fully committed to developing the skills hockey players need to be prepared for the next stage in their career.”
While Ballard acknowledged forgoing his senior season was a tough decision, he thinks he made the right choice.
“I developed more than ever in one year, and I guess that math adds up when you play six days a week for basically nine months straight,” he said. “It was a lot of fun, and while I missed being in high school with my friends, it was the right choice for me.”
As a rookie and the youngest player on the team, the 6-foot forward tallied four goals and six assists in 13 games during the regular season and added a goal and three assists in eight postseason games.
Dean Cashman, who coached Ballard at the high school level, said he was not surprised by the success his former charge was having.
“Mason is a special player and person. He’s the full package; he has exceptional hockey skills, and he’s fully bought into mental performance,” Cashman said. “He was a leader on the ice every practice and game. One of the big reasons he wore the ‘C’ was his leadership off the ice, on the bench, and in the locker room.”
Avalanche head coach Josh Bourdon credited Ballard for making the jump to junior hockey, likening it to moving up from being a big fish in a small pond.
“That’s risky, and not everyone can handle that,” Bourdon said. “It’s way easier to be comfortable, and it’s way more challenging to leave your comfort zone and to really make that sacrifice.”
Bourdon also lauded Ballard’s drive and commitment: “He brought a ton of energy, a ton of focus, (and) a ton of heart (to the team) … We’re lucky to have him.”
As Ballard continues working toward his goal of playing Division I college hockey, he will be moving up to the Avalanche’s EHL squad next year.
“Every hockey player’s dream is to play NCAA Division I hockey,” he said. … “I just want to work hard every day, enjoy the precious moments with the friends and family I make along the way, and hopefully play college hockey.”
