Johan Holmqvist

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size=
team=Frölunda HC
former_teams = Brynäs IF
league = SEL
position = Goaltender
catches = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 1.25
weight_lb = 195
nationality = SWE
birth_date = birth date|1978|5|24|mf=y
birth_place = Tolfta, SWE
draft = 175th overall
draft_year = 1997
draft_team = New York Rangers
career_start = 2001

Johan Holmqvist (born May 24, 1978 in Tolfta, Sweden) is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing for Frölunda HC in Elitserien.

Career

He started his career in the Elitserien team Brynäs IF. He played for their senior team from 1996 to 2000. He then signed with the New York Rangers, who had drafted Holmqvist in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft (7th round/175 pick overall). Holmqvist only played three NHL games for the Rangers between 2000 and 2003. Most of his time was spent with the Rangers' farm team Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. On March 11, 2003 Holmqvist was traded to Minnesota Wild for Lawrence Nycholat. Holmqvist played the rest of the season with the Wild's farm team, the Houston Aeros of the AHL, and won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs as Houston won the league championship. The following season, 2003/04, he played with the Aeros. At the end of the season, he decided to move back to Sweden where signed with his former club, Brynäs IF. He played with them for two seasons and then, on June 1, 2006, he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, an NHL club. He played with them for almost two years, putting up successful numbers. He was traded at the 2008 trade deadline to the Dallas Stars along with Brad Richards for a number of players, including Mike Smith and Jeff Halpern. On July 23, 2008, he signed a contract with the Swedish club Frölunda HC.

Career statistics

International career

Holmqvist has represented Sweden in two World Championship, 2005 and 2006. In the 2006 tournament he was Sweden's starting goaltender and helped the Swedes to their first gold medal in a World Championship since 1998.

International statistics

External links

*eliteprospects|711
*nhlprofile|8466303
*hockeydb|36962