Former Chilliwack Bruin Nick Holden is the second local WHL grad to suit up in a National Hockey League game.
Holden, who captained the Bruins in 2007-08 and played for the team from 2006-08, played his first NHL game for the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 20 as they hosted the Anaheim Ducks.
The 23 year old played nine minutes and 46 seconds, finishing with a +1 rating.
He’s played four games since, against Chicago, Philadelphia, Edmonton and Colorado. Pointless thus far, the St. Albert (Alberta) native logged 35 shifts and 24:26 of icetime in the game against the Oilers.
Holden follows in the footsteps of ex-Bruins teammate Oscar Moller, who became the first Chilliwack grad to crack an NHL lineup when he played 40 games for the Los Angeles Kings in 2008-09.
Moller played another 34 big-league games last fall before being assigned to the American Hockey League’s Manchester Monarchs.
Holden started this season with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, playing six games with one goal and six penalty minutes.
He spent the last two seasons with the Syracuse Crunch, playing 129 games with 10 goals, 45 points and 98 penalty minutes.
Holden played 137 games in Chilliwack and left as the all-time points leader among defencemen with 91 (since surpassed by Brandon Manning).
Another ex-Bruin logging icetime in the AHL is Mark Santorelli, who has played seven games for the Milwaukee Admirals this season (with two goals so far).