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Ballard doesn’t ‘give a [blank]’ if Bollig texts him or not

Minnesota Wild v Dallas Stars

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 08:Keith Ballard #2 of the Minnesota Wild stick handles against the Dallas Stars on March 8, 2014 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Dallas won 4-3. (Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images)

Thomas B. Shea

Keith Ballard is refusing to make a federal case out of the illegal hit he received from Chicago’s Brandon Bollig on Friday -- even though the hit earned Bollig a two-game suspension for boarding and left Ballard injured.

From Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Ballard is expected to return to Minnesota’s lineup tonight, replacing Nate Prosser on the Wild’s blue line.

As for whether Bollig has reached out via text since the hit, Ballard said too much gets made of that sort of thing.

“I don’t give a [blank],” he said. “I honestly don’t. It’s fine. That’s what happens.”

It’s a good thing Ballard is a professional hockey player and not a sanctimonious sportswriter or crazed internet commenter, because clearly working himself into a frenzy of outrage isn’t a strength.