Bobby Holik

Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
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Malmö, Sweden
What are you guys memories of this player? What kind of impact did he have on the ice? Just asking out of curiosity. I was too young to remember him clearly.

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Brodeur

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Feb 27, 2002
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6'4 230 brute who had some skill. We had a top PP unit with Holik fitting the role of winning of the faceoffs (was close to 60% during his peak) and being a nuisance in front of the net.

He had the reputation of being a shutdown center although I always viewed him more of a guy who'd physically wear you down rather than being a guy who should get Selke consideration. He did get some Selke votes for a stretch but never played the penalty kill with much regularity.

Definitely somebody made for the late 90's style of play. Unfortunately most people remember his big free agent contract first about Holik. In short, solid #2 center for the time.
 

My3Sons

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6'4 230 brute who had some skill. We had a top PP unit with Holik fitting the role of winning of the faceoffs (was close to 60% during his peak) and being a nuisance in front of the net.

He had the reputation of being a shutdown center although I always viewed him more of a guy who'd physically wear you down rather than being a guy who should get Selke consideration. He did get some Selke votes for a stretch but never played the penalty kill with much regularity.

Definitely somebody made for the late 90's style of play. Unfortunately most people remember his big free agent contract first about Holik. In short, solid #2 center for the time.
I thought his offensive skill was meh but he was able to brute force his way to a fair amount of success and to be fair he often played with less talented guys while in his prime.
 

Brodeur

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Feb 27, 2002
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I thought his offensive skill was meh but he was able to brute force his way to a fair amount of success and to be fair he often played with less talented guys while in his prime.

Definitely didn't have the skill/brain to be a first liner. I think Holik himself joked that he knew it was a problem when Eric Lindros got hurt and he was the Rangers de facto #1C.
 

Poppy Whoa Sonnet

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Jan 24, 2007
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A fan favorite. He was considered a fun interview cause he’d speak his mind and say stuff like the ice sucks. He was the center of the Crash line, the defensive checking line that was a fan favorite during the 95 cup win. Became known as one of the best defensive centers in the league as a result and coveted by the Rangers so badly they signed him to an insane $9m x 5 year contract before the cap existed.

He came back at the tail end of his career like many of the best players of Lou’s golden era and left a sour taste as he was much older and no longer effective.

(Going off memory here tell me if I’m mistaken on anything.)
 
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Blackjack

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Feb 13, 2003
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Goptor

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Jun 30, 2016
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had to look up the contract 5 yrs, 45m’s in 02-03’

So crazy we’re still not wanting to pay many players 9m a season, and bobby holik was getting it 20 years ago.

What I remember most from his playing days, is that he played a hard physical game, and gave a great interview.

Glen Sather was quoted saying that he paid a decent amount of the salary just so Holik wasn't on the Devils anymore.

He was the Tom Wilson to the Rangers before the current Tom Wilson ruined their team.
 

Brodeur

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Feb 27, 2002
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It was before my time as a fan, but there was some thought that Holik wasn't too far off from Mats Sundin going into the 1989 Draft. But kinda like Matvei Michkov this year, teams had no idea if/when they would get Holik.


Robert Holik, an 18-year-old left wing with the Czechoslovakian national hockey team, is believed to have defected to the United States with the hope of joining the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League, a published report says.

"The question of the day is: Where is Robert Holik?" the Toronto Star quotes an unnamed NHL executive who is attending the league meetings in Minneapolis as saying in today's editions.The meetings will be capped on Saturday by the annual entry draft.

"If he's in North America, as is rumored, it could throw the draft upside down," the executive is quoted as saying.

The newspaper says hockey officials believe that Holik, rated highly by NHL scouts, is being kept hidden by the North Stars, who intend to select him with their No. 1 pick, the seventh overall, in Saturday's draft.

"I can't say I've heard any direct scuttlebutt, but there's a lot of GMs here who feel he may be a safer pick than (Mats) Sundin," Toronto general manager Gord Sellick said Wednesday.
 

njdevils1982

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Sep 8, 2006
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It was before my time as a fan, but there was some thought that Holik wasn't too far off from Mats Sundin going into the 1989 Draft. But kinda like Matvei Michkov this year, teams had no idea if/when they would get Holik.




"Gord Sellick" :biglaugh:


i guess that doofus' name doesn't deserve to be correctly spelled
 

billingtons ghost

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Nov 29, 2010
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People saying he wasn't skilled are just wrong. After Sundin he was the second best player in that draft. Incredibly heavy shot with a solid release. He was cast more in a shutdown role. You guys might remember Jagr's puck possession when he was here or prime Zubrus but Holik was better than both and earned his nickname bull. Had an element of sandpaper.. more Bennett than Marchand or Claude Lemieux. Best faceoff guy we had. Better even than Madden.

He could be Lindrosesque without the top shelf skill.
He was what I hoped Arnott would be but never was, bc Arnott didn't have the compete level.

Washed up before he got to the Rags and that contract cast a pall.

Absurdly candid interview. Came from a family of professional sports freaks and pulled no punches when calling out his teammates.

Keystone player for us.
 

Nubmer6

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Jul 14, 2013
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People saying he wasn't skilled are just wrong. After Sundin he was the second best player in that draft. Incredibly heavy shot with a solid release. He was cast more in a shutdown role. You guys might remember Jagr's puck possession when he was here or prime Zubrus but Holik was better than both and earned his nickname bull. Had an element of sandpaper.. more Bennett than Marchand or Claude Lemieux. Best faceoff guy we had. Better even than Madden.

He could be Lindrosesque without the top shelf skill.
He was what I hoped Arnott would be but never was, bc Arnott didn't have the compete level.

Washed up before he got to the Rags and that contract cast a pall.

Absurdly candid interview. Came from a family of professional sports freaks and pulled no punches when calling out his teammates.

Keystone player for us.
I don't think I EVER saw him come away from the boards with out the puck. Guy was a monster (with a disconcertingly high voice :)
 

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