Braden Holtby

Raised in Marshall, Saskatchewan after his birth in Lloydminster, Holtby came up through the province’s junior system and spent three full seasons with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL. His final WHL campaign attracted NHL attention and led to Washington selecting him 93rd overall in the 2008 draft.

Holtby turned pro in 2009, splitting time between the Hershey Bears of the AHL and the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. Strong results in Hershey helped him reach the NHL, and he made his league debut on November 5, 2010. Early in his North American pro career he moved between levels before securing a regular role in Washington.

After development years in the organization, Holtby took over as Washington’s starting goaltender in the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season. Beginning in 2014–15 he posted at least 40 wins in three straight seasons. The 2015–16 campaign saw him record 48 victories, tying the single-season wins mark, and he was awarded the Vezina Trophy that season. In 2016–17 he shared the defensive honours for the Capitals with the William M. Jennings Trophy, and in 2018 he backstopped Washington to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

Holtby signed a two-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks in October 2020. After the 2020–21 season Vancouver bought out the final year of that contract, making him an unrestricted free agent in July 2021. He then signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Stars on July 28, 2021. A lower-body injury put him on long-term injured reserve in March 2022; he did not play in either of the following two seasons.

Technically sound with a focus on positional play and rebound control, Holtby earned a reputation for stringing together heavy workloads and delivering key performances in the playoffs, most notably during Washington’s 2018 Stanley Cup run.