Justin Holl
Edina Minnesota
Pro
| Birthday: 1992-01-30 | Position: D |
| Eligible for draft: 2010 | Shoots: Right |
| Drafted: 2010 | Height: 6-2 |
| Acquired: 2nd round (54th overall), 2010 | Weight: 170 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- C
History
2008-09: Justin Holl skated in 28 games for Minnesota’s Minnetonka HS as a junior. He finished the season with 1 goal, 9 assists and 6 PMs. The Skippers were one of the top ranked teams in the state and faced Edina in the Section 6AA final.
2009-10: Played for Minnetonka High School, and then finished the season with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers. In 31 games for Minnetonka, Holl scored 20 goals and added 17 assists. In his 11-game stint with the Lancers, Holl picked up 4 assists and had a +7 rating. In 8 playoff games for the Lancers, Holl scored 1 goal and added 1 assist.
2010-11: Holl was in and out of the lineup at the University of Minnesota as a freshman, appearing in 25 games with 1 goal, 6 assists for 7 points. He was limited to a checking role for much of the season on the Gopher’s veteran blue line.
2011-12: Holl, a sophomore, was one of four Minnesota underclassmen on defense to play in every game as the Gophers enjoyed their winningest season since 2006-07. In 43 games he scored 3 goals with 8 assists and was plus-18 with 34 penalty minutes. The Gophers won the WCHA regular season title and reached the NCAA Frozen Four. Minnesota defeated North Dakota in the NCAA West regional final after having lost to the Fighting Sioux in the WCHA tournament semifinals.
2012-13: Holl shifted from defense to winger in his junior season as Minnesota captured its second straight WCHA regular season title. He scored 3 goals with 4 assists in 35 games and was +3 with 10 penalty minutes. One of the top teams in college hockey, the Gophers finished 26-9-5 after a 2-0 loss to Colorado College in the WCHA Final Five semifinals and a 3-2 overtime loss to eventual national champion Yale in the NCAA West Regional.
2013-14: Holl skated on the top defense pairing for Minnesota along with New York Rangers prospect Brady Skjei in his senior season. He scored 1 goal with 12 assists and was plus-10 with 20 penalty minutes in 39 games. The Golden Gophers finished first in the regular season in the inaugural season of the Big Ten hockey conference but were upset by Ohio State, 3-1, in the conference quarterfinals. Minnesota defeated Robert Morris and St. Cloud State to win the NCAA West regional title. Holl scored his only goal of the season with the Gophers short-handed and one second left in regulation in the Frozen Four semifinals against North Dakota; giving Minnesota a 2-1 victory. The Gophers fell, 7-4, to Union in the national championship game. Holl was not signed to a contract by Chicago, becoming an unrestricted free agent, and signed an AHL contract with Blackhawks’ affiliate Rockford in August 2014.
Talent Analysis
Holl combines a projectable 6'2 frame with excellent skating ability. He is a strong puck-mover on the blue line with vision and passing ability. His defensive-zone play improved over the course of his college career and Holl also played forward while at Minnesota. He is not overly-physical despite his size. and relies on positioning and quick reads to make plays in his own zone.
Future
Holl was signed to an AHL contract by Chicago affiliate Rockford and with several prospects in the Chicago pipeline he began the 2014-15 season with ECHL expansion team, the Indy Fuel. Part of a talented University of Minnesota team that was one of the top programs in college hockey in his senior year, the former second round pick faces a long road to one day reach the NHL.
