Vancouver's Keith Ballard to Suit Up Against Habs

February 22 2011 Last updated at 05:50 PM ET

VANCOUVER -- Keith Ballard's return to the Vancouver Canucks came a game earlier than expected.

Ballard, who suffered a knee injury Feb. 7, was inserted in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Montreal Canadiens. It was felt that he still needed another day or two of practice, but he got his way after all.

"I've sat out long enough," said Ballard a day earlier. "I don't want to sit."

Ballard returned with Dan Hamhuis, who had been out since Feb. 9 with a concussion suffered on a controversial blindside hit from Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf.

"Obviously, Dan (Hamhuis) has had more practice time than Keith (Ballard), but (Ballard) has been telling us here for a couple of days that he feels good to go and he had a good practice (Monday)," said coach Alain Vigneault. "He's been cleared medically, he's cleared himself and he wants to play."

With Ballard and Hamhuis returning, Vancouver's decimated defense corps is considerably better. The Canucks still have five rearguards -- Alex Edler (back), Andrew Alberts (wrist) and Kevin Bieksa (foot) out of the lineup. Lee Sweatt, whose return to the minors was rescinded because of injury, is also out with a foot problem.

But Vigneault does not have to worry as much about who's playing well on the farm. Consequently, the Canucks returned rookie defenseman Yann Sauv� to Manitoba of the AHL.

His demotion leaves the Canucks with only six healthy defenseman, but management decided it was better get him some playing time at the lower level rather than have him sit in the press box.

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