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Braden Holtby bought a new house in the area: Washington DC ‘is home for me’

By Ian Oland

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January 31, 2022 11:40 am

Braden Holtby’s homecoming game against the Capitals didn’t go exactly as planned. The 2018 Stanley Cup-winning goaltender and maker of The Save gave up five goals to his former teammates, eventually yielding the net to Jake Oettinger in the third period. While the pull was bittersweet, there was one positive. It gave Holtby an opportunity to catch up with his teammates from between the benches.

“We just talked about life, I think,” Backstrom said. “How his family was and he asked about mine. We actually didn’t talk about the game at all.”

Judging by his comments and revelations from the day, Holtby no longer has any hard feelings towards the franchise — if he ever did at all — after being forced out in 2020 in favor of Ilya Samsonov due to salary cap constraints.

After signing a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks ahead of the 2020-21 season, the Holtbys sold their Alexandria, VA home for $4.35 million, according to Real Estate website Redfin, and moved to Canada with their two children and tortoises.

But at some point since then, something changed with the family’s living situation.

During his press conference with reporters on Friday, Holtby was asked what he appreciated most about playing for the Capitals in the past.

“The people,” Holtby said. “Hockey is obviously what we do but there’s a lot outside of it. Relationships you make and people that helped you in different ways that you’re forever grateful for. I remember Mitch Korn always use to tell me, ‘It’s a game of people, not pucks.’ That kind of stuck with me. That’s where my family grew up. That’s home for me. It’s pretty special to see those people again and catch up with.”

It seemed Holtby was being metaphorical with the comment, but the Washington Post’s Samantha Pell learned he was being literal in an interview afterward. Holtby has bought a new house in the DC area according to Pell’s reporting.

RMNB is told the house is where the Holtbys plan to live full time when he retires.

Holtby was spotted in Washington DC numerous times over the past summer, including at Nats Park twice in June and September.

Holtby joins two other former Capitals from the 2010 teams, Mike Green and Karl Alzner, that are calling DC their full-time home as their playing careers have wrapped up.

What remains to be determined is if the “Nicky Gnome” will remain a feature of Holtbys new house.

Nice to have ya back, Braden.

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