Josh Holden
Encyclopedia
Joshua Derek Adam Holden (born January 18, 1978 in Calgary, Alberta
) is a professional ice hockey
centre
. He was drafted in the first round, 12th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks
in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft
. He currently plays for EV Zug
of the National League A in Switzerland
.
with the Regina Pats
, finishing in the league's top ten in scoring in both 1995–96 and 1996–97, Holden made his National Hockey League
debut with the Canucks in the 1998–99 season, appearing in 30 games. After he played in 16 games with the Canucks over the next two seasons, he was claimed on waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes
before the 2001–02 season. Holden played in eight games with Carolina before rejoining the Canucks' organization. He then was traded by Vancouver to the Toronto Maple Leafs
before the 2002–03 season in exchange for Jeff Farkas
.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Holden went to Finland
's SM-liiga
to play for HPK
. While the NHL resumed play in 2005–06, Holden stayed in Europe
, joining HC Fribourg-Gottéron of Switzerland
's Nationalliga A.
He was named MPP of the National League A in the 2009-2010 Season, based on an internal evaluation by the team's coaches and captains. In 2010, EV Zug
and Josh Holden announced a long-term contract extension.
To date, he has only appeared in 60 NHL games, scoring five goals and nine assists.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
) is a professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
. He was drafted in the first round, 12th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft
1996 NHL Entry Draft
The 1996 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 22, 1996.- Selections by round :Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :- Round two :...
. He currently plays for EV Zug
EV Zug
EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. They are a current member of National League A and play their home games at Bossard Arena.-History:EV Zug won its lone championship in the 1997–98 season....
of the National League A in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Playing career
After playing four seasons in the Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
with the Regina Pats
Regina Pats
The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:...
, finishing in the league's top ten in scoring in both 1995–96 and 1996–97, Holden made his National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
debut with the Canucks in the 1998–99 season, appearing in 30 games. After he played in 16 games with the Canucks over the next two seasons, he was claimed on waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
before the 2001–02 season. Holden played in eight games with Carolina before rejoining the Canucks' organization. He then was traded by Vancouver to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
before the 2002–03 season in exchange for Jeff Farkas
Jeff Farkas
Jeffrey Thomas Farkas is a retired American professional ice hockey center. He was drafted in the third round, 57th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft....
.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Holden went to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
to play for HPK
HPK
HPK is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Hämeenlinna, Finland at the Hämeenlinnan jäähalli. HPK was established in 1929. The full name of the club is HPK-Edustusjääkiekko Ry and the team is sometimes promoted as the "Hockey Playing Knights", with the logo representing a knight...
. While the NHL resumed play in 2005–06, Holden stayed in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, joining HC Fribourg-Gottéron of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's Nationalliga A.
He was named MPP of the National League A in the 2009-2010 Season, based on an internal evaluation by the team's coaches and captains. In 2010, EV Zug
EV Zug
EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. They are a current member of National League A and play their home games at Bossard Arena.-History:EV Zug won its lone championship in the 1997–98 season....
and Josh Holden announced a long-term contract extension.
To date, he has only appeared in 60 NHL games, scoring five goals and nine assists.
Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1994-95 Regina Pats WHL 62 20 23 43 45 4 3 1 4 0
1995-96 Regina Pats WHL 70 57 55 112 105 11 4 5 9 23
1996-97 Regina Pats WHL 58 49 49 98 148 5 3 2 5 10
1997-98 Regina Pats WHL 56 41 58 99 134 2 2 2 4 10
1998-99 Vancouver Canucks NHL 30 2 4 6 10 -- -- -- -- --
1998-99 Syracuse Crunch AHL 38 14 15 29 48 -- -- -- -- --
1999-00 Vancouver Canucks NHL 6 1 5 6 2 -- -- -- -- --
1999-00 Syracuse Crunch AHL 45 19 32 51 113 4 1 0 1 10
2000-01 Vancouver Canucks NHL 10 1 0 1 0 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Kansas City Blades IHL 60 27 26 53 136 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 8 0 0 0 2 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 Manitoba Moose AHL 68 16 17 33 187 7 1 1 2 4
2002-03 St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 65 24 29 53 123 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 5 1 0 1 2 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 52 22 33 55 106 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 1 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 HPK Hameenlinna FNL 51 21 15 36 94 10 6 1 7 12
2005-06 Fribourg-Gotteron Swiss 44 17 18 35 127 -- -- -- -- --
2006-07 Fribourg-Gotteron Swiss 38 13 21 34 54 -- -- -- -- --
2007-08 Langnau Swiss 48 26 43 69 87 -- -- -- -- --
2008-09 EV Zug Swiss 49 18 32 50 100 10 1 3 4 20
2009-10 EV Zug Swiss 46 30 32 62 48 13 5 10 15 14
2010-11 EV Zug Swiss 43 16 36 52 54 -- -- -- -- --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Totals 60 5 9 14 16 -- -- -- -- --