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Since the news broke on Friday that Capitals free-agent goalie Braden Holtby had signed with the Vancouver Canucks, there has been an outpouring of support and reminiscences of his time in Washington.
Nationals stand-out pitcher, and likely free agent, to thank him for all he accomplished during his time with the Capitals.
The Capitals posted a touching video tribute that didn鈥檛 leave a dry eye in the house.
Now one of Holtby鈥檚 long-time teammates has weighed in — and Caps fans should prepare to feel heartbroken all over again.
Tom Wilson, who played with Holtby for the last eight years, created a photo slideshow of memories the two shared 鈥� winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, vacationing together and attending Caps events. 聽
鈥淪o many memories come to mind when I think back over the last 8 years. From day one at my first training camp, to vacations and a Stanley Cup together. A great teammate and an ever better friend, you will be missed in DC @Holts170,鈥� Wilson wrote on Twitter.
After getting selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, Wilson first joined the Caps for three games during the 2013 playoffs. By that point, Holtby had won a Stanley Cup playoff series in 2012 and taken over the starting goalie position from Semyon Varlamov during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
It鈥檚 clear from Wilson鈥檚 tweet that Holtby made a big impression on the rookie from day one at their first training camp together. The teammates and their families forged a tight bond through the ups and downs of regular-season success followed by playoff disappointment for many years until finally winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.
Holtby鈥檚 wife, Brandi, was apparently very moved by the touching slideshow from 鈥淢r. Tom.鈥�
Holtby has been the Caps鈥� starting goalie ever since Wilson joined the team, and it sounds like he will feel the loss both personally and professionally. That鈥檚 the business side of pro sports. Now he鈥檒l have to get used to playing in front of Ilya Samsonov and newly acquired veteran Henrik Lundqvist. But the friendships and memories endure.
