Johan Holmqvist

Did You Know?

• Holmqvist represented Sweden at two World Championships, in 2005 and 2006.
• He was Sweden's starting goaltender at the 2006 World Championship.
• He led Sweden to their first World Championship gold medal since 1998.

Playing career

Holmqvist began his senior career with Brynäs IF in the Elitserien, playing from 1996 to 2000 and winning a Swedish championship in 1999. Drafted by the New York Rangers in 1997, he appeared in four NHL games for them between 2000 and 2003, spending most of his time with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. On March 11, 2003, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild for Lawrence Nycholat and finished that season with the Wild's farm team, the Houston Aeros, winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as Calder Cup Playoffs MVP when Houston won the league championship. He played the 2003–04 season with the Aeros before returning to Sweden to rejoin Brynäs IF. After two seasons there, he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 1, 2006. He played for Tampa Bay for nearly two years before being traded at the 2008 trade deadline to the Dallas Stars alongside Brad Richards for Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, and Jussi Jokinen. On July 23, 2008, he signed with Frölunda HC.