Jim Ballantine (ice hockey)
Jim Jeffery Ballantine (November 6, 1967 – January 2002) was an American ice hockey center.[1]
| Jim Ballantine | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
November 6, 1967 Union Lake, Michigan | ||
| Died |
January 4, 2002 (aged 34) Michigan | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Columbus Chill Richmond Renegades Indianapolis Ice Dallas Freeze | ||
| Playing career | 1991–1994 | ||
Ballantine was born in Union Lake, Michigan. A graduate and hockey player for the University of Michigan, he started his professional career with the Columbus Chill in the ECHL. He also played for the Richmond Renegades (ECHL), Indianapolis Ice (IHL), and Dallas Freeze (CHL). He is most notable for being the first player to wear a 3-digit number in a professional sports game (101) to promote Columbus, Ohio radio station CD101. Ballantine was a regular on-air personality on the station.[2] The jersey number selection began as a joke; but Ballantine shed his former number (19, in a nod to Detroit Red Wings longtime Captain Steve Yzerman).
Ballantine died in 2002 from Lou Gherig's Disease (ALS).[3]
References
- "Rumblings with Bob Hunter". Columbus Dispatch. January 11, 2002. Archived from the original on January 31, 2002.
- Paitson, David; Merz, Craig. Chill Factor: How a Minor League Hockey Team Changed a City Forever. ISBN 978-1613217672.
- "Ice ALS | Michigan Medicine". uofmhealth.org. University of Michigan.
External links
- Jim Ballantine career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
- Memorial Page at the Wayback Machine (archived January 23, 2002)