Nick Holden

Nick Holden
Born (1987-05-15) May 15, 1987
St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 New York Rangers
Columbus Blue Jackets
Colorado Avalanche
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2008–present

Nick Holden (born May 15, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Holden played Junior A-level hockey for the Camrose Kodiaks and Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) and the Chilliwack Bruins of the Western Hockey League (WHL) at the major junior level.[1]

Holden during his tenure with the Springfield Falcons.

Holden signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets as an undrafted free agent and spent two seasons playing for the team's then-American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. He then made his NHL debut on October 21, 2010, with the Blue Jackets during the 2010–11 season in a 3–1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.[2][3]

During the lock-out-shortened 2012–13 season, Holden appeared in a brief, two-game return to the NHL with the Blue Jackets, primarily playing with the Springfield Falcons. He finished the season leading all Falcons defenceman in scoring with nine goals and 39 points in 73 games.

On July 5, 2013, Holden left the Blue Jackets organization and signed a two-year contract as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche.[4] After partaking and impressing in his first Avalanche training camp, Holden was unexpectedly successful in making the team's opening night roster for the 2013–14 season.[5] Holden sat as a healthy scratch in the first 11 games of the season before making his Avalanche debut as a forward in a 3–2 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars on November 2, 2013.[6] In returning to his natural position of defence, Holden scored his first career NHL goal, a game-winner, against Braden Holtby in a 4–1 victory over the Washington Capitals on November 10, 2013.[7][8] As the season progressed, Holden solidified his position within the Avalanche blueline, and on January 18, in a game against the Nashville Predators, he set a career high in scoring two goals and three points whilst also recording an all-time team record of nine hits for a defenceman. His three points and nine hits were last matched by Jiří Šlégr of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2001.[9] Holden finished the season second amongst Avalanche defencemen with ten goals in only 54 games. He also led all Avalanche defenceman with three goals and four points in their Western Conference Quarter-final series defeat in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Minnesota Wild.[10]

Holden was rewarded from his break-out season in signing a three-year contract extension on July 1, 2014.[11]

On June 25, 2016, with two years remaining on his contract, Holden was traded by the Avalanche at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 4th round pick in 2017.[12]

Personal life

Nick and his wife Angela have two children named Parker and Carter. Holden during his tenure with Colorado purchased tickets to every Avalanche home game and donated them to numerous children's charity organizations.[13]

Career statistics

Holden in 2014.
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2004–05Camrose KodiaksAJHL40000—————
2005–06Camrose KodiaksAJHL29581327—————
2005–06Sherwood Park CrusadersAJHL282151719—————
2006–07Chilliwack BruinsWHL67823316251126
2007–08Chilliwack BruinsWHL702238605441340
2007–08Syracuse CrunchAHL10002—————
2008–09Syracuse CrunchAHL614182246—————
2009–10Syracuse CrunchAHL686172352—————
2010–11Springfield FalconsAHL674212563—————
2010–11Columbus Blue JacketsNHL50000—————
2011–12Springfield FalconsAHL2536914—————
2012–13Springfield FalconsAHL73930395880336
2012–13Columbus Blue JacketsNHL20000—————
2013–14Colorado AvalancheNHL541015252273148
2014–15Colorado AvalancheNHL78591428—————
2015–16Colorado AvalancheNHL826162224—————
NHL totals 221 21 40 61 74 7 3 1 4 8

References

  1. ↑ "Sherwood Park Crusaders season stats". Sherwood Park Crusaders. 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
  2. ↑ "Nash has two goals in Jackets 3-1 win". Yahoo! Sports. 2010-10-20. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
  3. ↑ Rimer, Jeff (2010-10-22). "Rimer's game day ramblings – Oct. 22". Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
  4. ↑ "Avalanche announce signings". Colorado Avalanche. 2013-07-05. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
  5. ↑ "Avalanche make three cuts; final roster set". Denver Post. 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  6. ↑ "Stastny scores in OT to lift troubled Varlamov, Avs". CBS Sports. 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2013-12-01.
  7. ↑ "First place Colorado keep climbing". CBS Sports. 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  8. ↑ "Hardwork, positivity led to Holden's first score". Colorado Avalanche. 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  9. ↑ "Avalanche 2014-15 Media Guide". Colorado Avalanche. 2014-10-01. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  10. ↑ "Holden's golden opportunity". Denver Post. 2014-10-04. Retrieved 2014-10-04.
  11. ↑ "Avalanche signs Nick Holden to extension". Colorado Avalanche. 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
  12. ↑ "Rangers acquire defenseman Nick Holden". New York Rangers. 2016-06-25. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
  13. ↑ "Nick Holden player biography". Colorado Avalanche. 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
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