Nick Holden
Undrafted defenceman who played 18 games for the Boston Bruins.
Nick Holden, a Canadian defenceman, spent 12 seasons in the NHL with six different teams: the Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Ottawa Senators. He was never drafted into the league but became a regular on the Avalanche’s blue line during their 2014 Stanley Cup playoff run.
Holden grew up in St. Albert, Alberta, where he played alongside future NHLer Ryan Stanton for the St. Albert Raiders. His play caught the eye of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), but he didn’t see a long-term future in hockey. By age 18, he had started plumbing apprenticeships as a backup plan. Instead, he joined the Chilliwack Bruins of the Western Hockey League (WHL) as an undrafted player and spent two seasons there.
After his junior career, Holden signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He spent seven years in the organization before leaving as a free agent for the Colorado Avalanche. With Colorado, he became a fixture on the NHL roster and played a key role on defence during the 2014 playoffs. He stayed with the Avalanche for three seasons before being traded to the New York Rangers in 2016. A year and a half later, the Rangers traded him to the Boston Bruins. After 18 games with Boston, he signed as a free agent with the Vegas Golden Knights, his fifth NHL club. In July 2021, the Golden Knights traded him to the Ottawa Senators. He retired in 2023 and joined Vegas’s player development staff.
Holden was born on May 15, 1987, in St. Albert, to Lynda and John Holden. His father had played hockey, and his stepbrother played for the Vancouver Giants. He grew up with siblings Tiffany and Jack and attended St. Albert Catholic High School. At age 12, he got his first job as an ice hockey referee.
As a youth, Holden played bantam and midget-A hockey without trying out for a team. He started in peewee with his sister Tiffany and only took the game seriously in Midget. He played Midget AAA for the St. Albert Raiders alongside Ryan Stanton. In his final season, he led the team’s defencemen with 22 points in 35 games, drawing interest from the AJHL. That earned him a call-up to the Junior A-level Camrose Kodiaks, with whom he competed in the RBC Cup. During the 2005 AJHL Championship, the Kodiaks lost 3–2 to the Weyburn Red Wings of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).
Quick Facts
- League
- NHL
- Played For
- Columbus Blue Jackets / Colorado Avalanche / New York Rangers / Boston Bruins / Vegas Golden Knights / Ottawa Senators
- Position
- Defence
- Shoots
- Left
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 4
- Weight Lb
- 210
- Birth Date
- 1987-05-15
- Birth Place
- St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
- Ntl Team
- CAN
- Draft
- Undrafted
- Career Start
- 2008
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Holden grew up in St. Albert, Alberta, playing bantam and midget-A hockey without trying out for a team. He played Midget AAA hockey for the St. Albert Raiders alongside future NHLer Ryan Stanton. By age 18, he had secured an apprenticeship in plumbing and planned to become a plumber if hockey did not work out. He flew under the radar of most scouts until Chilliwack Bruins general manager Darrell May saw him play for the Camrose Kodiaks the night before the 2006 WHL Entry Draft. Holden joined the Chilliwack Bruins as an undrafted player and later became their captain, recording 22 goals and 38 assists in his second season. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets in March 2008, concluding his major junior career.
Holden spent seven years in the Blue Jackets organization, mostly in the AHL, before leaving as a free agent for the Colorado Avalanche in 2013. With the Avalanche, he scored his first career NHL goal (a game-winner) against Braden Holtby and finished the season second among Avalanche defencemen with ten goals in 54 games. He played in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, leading all Avalanche defencemen with three goals and four points in a series defeat to the Minnesota Wild. After three seasons with Colorado, he was traded to the New York Rangers in 2016, then traded to the Boston Bruins after a year and a half. He played 18 games with the Bruins before signing as a free agent with the Vegas Golden Knights. He was traded to the Ottawa Senators in July 2021 and retired in 2023 to join the Golden Knights' player development staff.
Reader's Guide
Nick Holden's NHL career is notable for its trajectory from an undrafted player who nearly became a plumber to a reliable defenceman for six NHL teams over 12 seasons. His path to the NHL was unconventional: he did not play organized hockey until peewee, flew under the radar of scouts, and only considered a professional career after being drafted into the WHL at age 19. His breakout season came with the Colorado Avalanche in 2013–14, where he scored ten goals in 54 games and led the team's defencemen in playoff scoring. That performance earned him a three-year contract extension and solidified his place as an NHL regular. His tenure with the Boston Bruins was brief—18 games—but it added to his reputation as a journeyman defenceman who could be traded or signed as a free agent to provide depth. After retiring, Holden transitioned into player development with the Vegas Golden Knights, the same organization he had played for. His career illustrates how late-blooming, undrafted players can carve out long NHL careers through persistence and adaptability.
Did You Know?
- Holden began his first job as an ice hockey referee when he was 12 years old.
- He was named captain of the Chilliwack Bruins in his second WHL season.
- He set an Avalanche team record for a defenceman with nine hits in a single game.
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