The most successful alumnus of the Western Hockey League Chilliwack Bruins has called it a career. Defenceman Nick Holden announced Thursday (Sept. 14) that he’s hanging up his skates after 709 National Hockey League games.
The Alberta product is joining the player development team for the NHL’s Las Vegas Knights, one of six teams Holden played for during a career that ran from 2010 to 2023.
“Playing for Vegas was an amazing time in my career for both me and my family,” Holden said in an article on NHL.com. “To have the opportunity to rejoin this organization is unbelievable and I really appreciate the opportunity given to me by (president of hockey operations) George McPhee and (general manager) Kelly McCrimmon.”
The 36-year-old defenceman spent two seasons with the WHL’s Bruins from 2006 to 2008, captaining the major junior team in his second season.
He turned pro in 2007-o8 with the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch and then signed with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets as an undrafted free agent, making his big league debut in 2010-11. Holden would spend time with Columbus (2010-13), Colorado (2013-16), the New York Rangers (2016-18), Boston Bruins (2017-18) and Las Vegas Golden Knights (2018-21) before finishing up with two seasons in Ottawa.
Over 654 regular season games he collected 52 goals, 178 points and 174 penalty minutes. He added seven goals, 17 points and 18 PIMs in 55 playoff games.
He also won silver for Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Hockey Championships.
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