It has been over 10 years since Nick Holden last suited up for the Sherwood Park Crusaders, and since then he has carved out quite the career for himself.
Before joining the Crusaders, Holden had a short spell with the Camrose Kodiaks where he was part of the 2005 AJHL Championship team. That year, Holden and the Kodiaks fell just short of an RBC Cup ring, losing 3-2 in the final to the Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL).
The following year, the 6 4’ defenceman became a member of the Crusaders where he would go on to make 57 appearances for the black and green. While the team finished 14th in the AJHL that season, Holden was able to have some personal success scoring 30 points (7 goals, 23 assists) – the most by a Crusaders defenceman.
He did not stay long before pursuing a new challenge at a different level with the Chilliwack Bruins of the WHL. The former Crusaders defenceman was in Chilliwack for two seasons, scoring 91 points (30 goals, 61 assists) in 137 games. In his final season with the Bruins, Holden was named the captain of the franchise.
Holden turned pro in 2008, and since then he has gone on to play for five different NHL franchises – Colombus, Colorado, New York, Boston, and Las Vegas – and has dressed in 374 NHL regular season games and 20 in the postseason. Most recently, he signed a two-year deal with the West Conference Champions, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, worth $4.4 million.
We are extremely proud of Nick and all the accomplishments he has been able to achieve throughout his career, and we are sure that he will continue to lead by example for all AJHL players coming through the system today.