Nick Holden

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Nick Holden
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Born (1987-05-15) May 15, 1987 (age 37)
St. Albert, AB, CAN
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2008–present

Nick Holden (born May 15, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche 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]

File:Nick Holden.jpg
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 lockout-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 breakout season in signing a three-year contract extension on July 1, 2014.[11]

Personal life

Nick and his wife Angela have two children named Parker and Carter. Holden has purchased tickets to every Avalanche home game and donated them to numerous children's charity organizations.[12]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2004–05 Camrose Kodiaks AJHL 4 0 0 0 0
2005–06 Camrose Kodiaks AJHL 29 5 8 13 27
2005–06 Sherwood Park Crusaders AJHL 28 2 15 17 19
2006–07 Chilliwack Bruins WHL 67 8 23 31 62 5 1 1 2 6
2007–08 Chilliwack Bruins WHL 70 22 38 60 54 4 1 3 4 0
2007–08 Syracuse Crunch AHL 1 0 0 0 2
2008–09 Syracuse Crunch AHL 61 4 18 22 46
2009–10 Syracuse Crunch AHL 68 6 17 23 52
2010–11 Springfield Falcons AHL 67 4 21 25 63
2010–11 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 5 0 0 0 0
2011–12 Springfield Falcons AHL 25 3 6 9 14
2012–13 Springfield Falcons AHL 73 9 30 39 58 8 0 3 3 6
2012–13 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 2 0 0 0 0
2013–14 Colorado Avalanche NHL 54 10 15 25 22 7 3 1 4 8
2014–15 Colorado Avalanche NHL 78 5 9 14 28
2015–16 Colorado Avalanche NHL 82 6 16 22 24
NHL totals 221 21 40 61 74 7 3 1 4 8

References

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  12. http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8474207&view=bio

External links