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Alexander Holtz

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Alexander Holtz
Holtz with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2024
Born (2002-01-23) 23 January 2002 (age 22)
Stockholm, Sweden
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb)
Position Right wing
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams		 Vegas Golden Knights
Djurgårdens IF
New Jersey Devils
NHL draft 7th overall, 2020
New Jersey Devils
Playing career 2019–present

Alexander Gabriel Holtz (born 23 January 2002) is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected seventh overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2020 NHL entry draft.

Early life

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Holtz was born on 23 January 2002 in Stockholm. His father, Magnus Holtz (born Andersson), is a former ice hockey player who played two seasons for Västerviks IK.[1] He also has an older brother, David.[2] As a youngster, Holtz played several sports such as football, tennis, golf, and basketball, but eventually chose to bet on hockey.[3]

He started his hockey career in Boo IF at a young age and has since childhood followed his big brother who also played hockey. His father was the coach of Nacka HK at this time. Holtz already made his debut as a 13-year-old in a junior context when he played in U16 with Nacka/Farsta FoC and their U16 division 1 team during the 2014–15 season. Then there were two more seasons with the U16 team in Nacka where he performed so well that he was promoted to their J18 Elit team in the 2016–17 season. During those years, he averaged almost two points per game - even though he was two years younger than most he played against.[4]

He was named for the Stockholm South team in the national junior hockey tournament TV-pucken in 2017 and scored 6 goals and 10 points in 6 games. Holtz was awarded the Sven Tumba award as the best forward of the tournament.[5]

Playing career

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Djurgårdens IF

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Holtz moved to Djurgårdens IF for the 2017–18 season to play in the club's junior teams. Holtz made his professional debut in the Swedish Hockey League on 29 January 2019, in a home game against Färjestad BK.[6] At the conclusion of the J20 SuperElit regular season, Holtz was the leading goal scorer with 30 goals in 38 games. The J20 playoffs ended with a third place for Holtz and Djurgården.[7]

Holtz began the 2019–20 season by playing with Djurgårdens IF in the 2019–20 Champions Hockey League, a European ice hockey tournament. In the first game against Polish GKS Tychy, Holtz scored two goals.[8][9] He recorded his first SHL point in the league premiere on 14 September when assisting Michael Haga to the 1–1 equalizer in the 4–2 win against Linköping HC.[10] In the next game on 17 September, Holtz scored his first and second SHL goal against goaltender Viktor Fasth of Växjö Lakers in a 5–3 win.[11] Holtz extended his contract with Djurgårdens IF on 23 September by two years, allowing him to play with the club until the 2021–22 SHL season.[12]

In his first full season in the SHL in the 2020–21 campaign, Holtz appeared in a career-high 40 regular season games with Djurgårdens IF collecting seven goals and 11 assists to set new career mark of 18 points. After co-leading the club in postseason scoring with four points in three games, Holtz signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils on 19 April 2021, as well as an amateur tryout (ATO) contract with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Binghamton Devils.[13]

New Jersey Devils

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Holtz with the Utica Comets in 2021.

Holtz moved to North America permanently for the 2021–22 season. Following the conclusion of the NHL pre-season, Holtz was assigned to the AHL's Utica Comets, where he finished among the top rookie scorers, recording 26 goals and 51 points in 52 games.[14] In one of a few brief stints with the Devils, Holtz scored his first NHL point, an assist on a goal by Pavel Zacha against the Florida Panthers on 9 November 2021.[15]

Holtz made the Devils' NHL roster for the 2022–23 season but failed to retain a permanent roster spot, playing only 19 games with the Devils and 14 with the Comets.[16] He scored his first NHL goal, the Devils' first goal of the season, on 13 October 2022 against the Philadelphia Flyers.[17] His first multi-point NHL game came on 4 January 2023, scoring a goal and an assist against the Detroit Red Wings in his 25th NHL game.[18]

Vegas Golden Knights

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On 29 June 2024, during the 2024 NHL entry draft, Holtz and Akira Schmid were traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Paul Cotter and a third-round pick in 2025.[19] Holtz scored his first goal with Vegas on October 22, 2024, contributing the Golden Knights' fourth goal in a 6–1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.[20]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2017–18 Djurgårdens IF J20 11 4 4 8 2 — — — — —
2018–19 Djurgårdens IF J20 38 30 17 47 12 5 2 2 4 2
2018–19 Djurgårdens IF SHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF J20 3 7 2 9 2 — — — — —
2019–20 Djurgårdens IF SHL 35 9 7 16 12 — — — — —
2020–21 Djurgårdens IF SHL 40 7 11 18 4 3 2 2 4 2
2020–21 Binghamton Devils AHL 10 1 2 3 0 — — — — —
2021–22 Utica Comets AHL 52 26 25 51 10 5 1 2 3 0
2021–22 New Jersey Devils NHL 9 0 2 2 2 — — — — —
2022–23 New Jersey Devils NHL 19 3 1 4 8 — — — — —
2022–23 Utica Comets AHL 14 6 5 11 4 6 0 5 5 0
2023–24 New Jersey Devils NHL 82 16 12 28 14 — — — — —
SHL totals 78 16 18 34 16 3 2 2 4 2
NHL totals 110 19 15 34 24 — — — — —

International

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Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Men's ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Czech Republic
World U18 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Sweden
Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Silver medal – second place 2018 Edmonton/Red Deer
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Dawson Creek/Fort St. John
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2018 Sweden HG18 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5 2 5 7 0
2018 Sweden U17 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 4 4 8 4
2019 Sweden U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 4 3 7 4
2020 Sweden WJC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7 3 2 5 2
2021 Sweden WJC 5th 5 1 2 3 6
Junior totals 30 14 16 30 16

References

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  1. ^ Åhman, Jonathan (25 November 2019). "Supertalangens pappa om tiden i VIK – Västerviks-Tidningen". vt.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  2. ^ "David Holtz at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Hem - Hockeymagasinet". www.hockeymagasinet.com. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Djurgårdens 16-åriga underbarn siktar på SHL i vinter". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 11 September 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  5. ^ "BÄSTE SPELARE/ FORWARD i TV-pucken 1959-2018" (PDF) (in Swedish). Swedish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  6. ^ Ros, Tomas (29 January 2019). "Förstod att något var på gång". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  7. ^ James, David (31 August 2019). "Har längtat efter det här året sjukt länge" ["[I've] been looking forward to this year for a long time"]. Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  8. ^ Karlsson, Erik (30 August 2019). "Jag ler varje gång jag ser honom" [I smile every time I see him]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  9. ^ Tengblad, Mattias (30 August 2019). "Succé direkt – för Dif:s supertalang" [Success immediately - for DIF's super talent]. Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  10. ^ Larsson, Jonathan; Pinheiro Diamant, Jonatan (14 September 2019). "Patrik Berglunds hyllning till Alexander Holtz, 17" [Patrik Berglund's praise to Alexander Holtz, 17]. Expressen (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  11. ^ Jansson, Hans (17 September 2019). "Supertalangen klippte till två gånger när Djurgården vann" [The Super talent scored twice when Djurgården won]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  12. ^ Thedéen, Jesper (23 September 2019). "17-årige Holtz skriver nytt avtal med Djurgården" [17 year old Holtz signs on a new deal with Djurgården]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Devils sign 2020 first-rounder Alexander Holtz". New Jersey Devils. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  14. ^ "American Hockey League Skater Stats 2021-22 Regular Season". Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Holtz 1st NHL point on Zacha PPG". New Jersey Devils. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Devils Announce Roster for Start of 2022-23 Season". NHL.com. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  17. ^ Fischer, John (14 October 2022). "NJ Devils Goal Breakdown: The First Goal of the Season & the Career of Alexander Holtz". All About The Jersey. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Devils' Alexander Holtz: First multi-point game in NHL". CBS Sports. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Golden Knights acquire Alexander Holtz, Akira Schmid from Devils for Paul Cotter, pick". Sportsnet.ca. 29 June 2024.
  20. ^ Delos Santos, Paul (23 October 2024). "Hertl has 4 points, Golden Knights defeat Kings to end 3-game skid". NHL.com. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by New Jersey Devils first round draft pick
2020 		Succeeded by
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