Ten NHL teams 'seriously interested' in captain

By Marc Weber - The Province - January 17, 2008

Bruins captain Nick Holden hadn't thought about the NHL until meeting an agent.  - Bob Frid Photo

Nick Holden is pretty new to this whole agent thing.

Not surprising,

considering that his list of recent defence partners includes his sister, Tiffany.

The Chilliwack Bruins undrafted 20-year-old captain didn't have representation when he landed in the WHL as an unheralded defenceman last season.

That changed when Shane Corston -- not Corson of Toronto Maple Leafs fame; Corston of St. Thomas Tommies fame The Associated Pressproached him early in his rookie major junior campaign.

Corston, representing Allain Roy of CMG Sports, had seen Holden play in midget and thought the 6-foot-3, 200-pound rearguard had pro potential.

"That was really the first time I'd ever thought about it," said Holden, a classic late-blooming blueliner. "I never figured I needed an agent.

"Shane came and just said, 'It's not going to hurt having someone put your name out there,' and I talked with my parents that night and signed a week later."

A few years ago, a guy in Holden's position often had fewer options -- they could graduate to the CIS or toil in the ECHL looking for a break.

Undrafted 20-year-olds in major junior hockey, like undrafted seniors in the NCAA, were low on the totem pole with agencies.

Their stock improved, said Roy, with the 2005 NHL collective bargaining agreement, which capped a signing bonus for the Holdens of the world at $87,500.

It used to be $1 million, he said, and unrestricted free agents can't make more than $65,000 playing in the AHL.

All of that adds up to bargain prices for NHL teams willing to take a flyer on an older entry-level player.

"If there's one good thing to come out of the new CBA, that's it," said Roy. "Now if you're a late bloomer people don't give up on you any more. It's really changed the landscape and these guys have become a lot more of a prized possession.

"You're seeing most teams have a scout dedicated to finding those players who were passed over."

CMG Sports also had an inside scoop on Holden's character, which Roy said is a key part of their process when going after players.

Corston coached Holden's step-brother and one-time Vancouver Giant Jack Redlick when he was with Grand Prairie of the AJHL, so he knew he was a quality guy.

"There's a ton of skill guys out there," said Roy, a member of the 1994 silver-medal Canadian Olympic team who also represents Canucks forward Rick Rypien and Anaheim's Brian Sutherby.

"When you get to the pro game, everybody is good. Character is probably 80 per cent of it. That's why we like Nick. His personality and his leadership stand out."

Although Holden is a late bloomer, Roy said his agency hasn't had to beat down anyone's door.

"Sometimes people don't know about a player and you've got to convince them to come and watch him," he said. "But with Nick, he had such a good first half that we haven't had to push too hard."

Ten NHL teams are "seriously interested" in inking the Bruins blueliner, said Roy, and that increased attention has brought the value of an agent into a new light for Holden.

"They handle everything," he said. "So it's really easy to block it all out and just focus on hockey."