Braden Holtby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Braden Holtby
Holtby with the Washington Capitals in April 2018
Born	(1989-09-16) September 16, 1989 (age 35) Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Catches	Left
NHL team Former teams	Free agent Washington Capitals Vancouver Canucks Dallas Stars
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	93rd overall, 2008 Washington Capitals
Playing career	2009–present

Braden Holtby (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He used to play for the Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks, and Dallas Stars in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Capitals picked him in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL entry draft. He played his first ten seasons with them.

After a few years of getting better, Holtby became the Capitals' main goalie during the 2012–13 season. From the 2014–15 season onwards, he won at least 40 games for three years in a row. In 2016, Holtby tied a league record for most wins by a goalie in one season with 48. He also won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie. The next year, he won the William M. Jennings Trophy for helping the Capitals let in the fewest goals. In 2018, Holtby helped the Capitals win their first ever Stanley Cup championship!

Playing Career

Junior Hockey Days

Holtby played his junior hockey with the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League (WHL). His team struggled in his first two seasons. But in his last WHL season, after being drafted by the Capitals, Holtby had a much better year. He won 40 games in 61 tries.

Professional Hockey

Washington Capitals (2010–2020)

In 2009, Holtby started playing professional hockey. He split his time between the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays and the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). He had a great record with the Bears, winning 24 games. He also had a good goals against average (GAA) of 2.32 and a .917 save percentage. (GAA means how many goals a goalie lets in per game, and save percentage is how many shots they stop.)

Holtby played his first NHL game on November 5, 2010. He came into the game late and stopped all shots he faced, helping the Capitals win. He got his first NHL start two days later and won again. On March 9, 2011, Holtby got his first NHL shutout, meaning he stopped every shot and the other team scored zero goals. He was even named the NHL's First Star of the Week!

Holtby with the Capitals in May 2012

Holtby returned to the Capitals for the 2011–12 season playoffs after other goalies got hurt. He started Game 1 of the 2012 playoffs against the Boston Bruins. He played amazingly, helping the Capitals upset the Bruins in Game 7. He continued his strong play against the New York Rangers. Even though the Capitals lost in Game 7, Holtby showed everyone he was a top goalie.

After his great playoff performance, Holtby became the Capitals' main starting goalie for the 2012–13 season. In 2015, Holtby made history by shutting out the Boston Bruins three times in one season. This also gave him 41 wins, tying a Capitals record.

In 2016, Holtby tied Martin Brodeur's record for most wins in a single season with 48. He then won the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the league. He was also a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given to the most outstanding player.

Holtby with the Capitals in April 2016.

On March 28, 2017, Holtby got his 40th win of the season. This made him only the third goalie in league history to have at least 40 wins in three seasons in a row.

During the 2017–18 season, Holtby became the second fastest NHL goalie to reach 200 career wins. He was also picked for the NHL All-Star team for the third year in a row. Even though he didn't start the 2018 playoffs, he stepped in after two games and played the rest of the way. Holtby helped lead the Capitals to their first ever Stanley Cup! He had an amazing playoff record and two shutouts in the Eastern Conference Finals.

He is famous for a save he made in Game 2 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals. He made a diving stick save on an open net shot, which many people call "The Save." If the other team had scored, the game would have been tied. Holtby was one of the top players considered for the playoff MVP award.

Vancouver Canucks (2020–2021)

On October 9, 2020, Holtby signed a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks. In the shorter 2020-21 season, he played 21 games. He later left the Canucks and became a free agent.

Dallas Stars (2021–2022)

On July 28, 2021, Holtby signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Stars. On November 30, he earned his 293rd win, which is the most by an NHL goalie in their first 500 games. He faced his old team, the Capitals, for the first time in January 2022. In March, Holtby was placed on the injured list due to a lower body injury. It was later reported that he might miss the next season or even have to retire. He did not play in the following two seasons.

Personal Life and Community Work

Holtby was born in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada. He grew up in Marshall, Saskatchewan. Holtby and his wife, Brandi, have two children. They lived in Virginia for the 10 years he played for Washington. They later moved to Vancouver and then to Dallas. The Holtbys even have two pet tortoises named Honey and Maple!

Community Involvement

Holtby is known for his work in the community. Before the 2014 Winter Olympics, he spoke about supporting fairness and equality for all people.

He was an ambassador for the Capitals, helping to promote inclusion for everyone. He even won an award for his efforts and attended the Capital Pride parade many times. He got interested in these issues after visiting a Human Rights Campaign center. In 2018, he spoke at their annual dinner. The next year, he helped raise money for the Human Rights Campaign.

After winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, Holtby was one of three Capitals players who chose not to visit the White House. He said he wanted to "stay true to [his] values."

After the death of George Floyd and the protests that followed, Holtby used social media to show his support for racial equality. He and his wife held an auction in 2020 and raised nearly $40,000 for groups working for racial justice.

In late 2020, Holtby got a new goalie mask design. Some people felt it used symbols from First Nations communities without permission. Holtby quickly apologized and decided not to wear the mask. He then worked with a Coast Salish artist to create a new mask. This new mask featured the legend of the Sea-Wolf, which teaches about the importance of families working together.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Bold indicates led league

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
Canada Cup / World Cup
Gold	2016 Toronto

International Games

Awards and Honors