501 Points Later, Holmstrom Has Adapted His Game
Follow500 points is an accomplishment for any player, but for Tomas Holmstrom it is a milestone that seems improbable. The 6-foot, 198 pound winger is not particularly gifted offensively and certainly isn’t the best skater on the ice. None of that matters for Holmstrom, who has earned his paycheck the hard way by crashing the crease and scoring ugly deflection goals near the net.
The Red Wings discovered the 38 year-old winger after Detroit scout, Hakaan Andersson, watched him play in 1993 Swedish national team selection camp. They drafted him a year later in 1994 with a 10th round selection – 257th overall.
The Pitea, Sweden native signed his first contract with the Red Wings in 1996 and spent his first year splitting time between Detroit and Adirondack of the AHL. Holmstrom played 48 NHL games that year including one playoff game during the Red Wings 1997 cup run. The gritty forward would earn a full time roster spot the following year after Detroit opted not to re-sign fan favorite Tomas Sandstrom, who had been acquired earlier that year in exchange for Greg Johnson.
In the early days as a Wing, Holmstrom would frequently find himself in head coach Scotty Bowman’s dog house. While his net presence has always been a strength, his poor defensive game and inability to skate at an NHL level were the reasons why he was routinely scratched. Under Bowman’s watch, he learned to become more responsible defensively while also adapting to the numerous crease related rule changes.
Holmstrom, who’s skating has improved over the years but is still below average, was even able to adapt his game in the post lock-out era of more skating and less obstruction. While he will never be known as a defensive specialist, he isn’t nearly the liability he once was. The veteran forward is still one of the best in the NHL at screening opposition goalies, but he has also developed a pretty effective set of offensive tools over the years routinely chipping in 30 or more points a season. The last few seasons he has even seen time on the top two lines as well and the top power play unit.
The so called Swedish Demolition Man has earned every one of his 501 points the hard way taking abuse from opposition goalies and defensemen alike. In the process he’s become a fan favorite for his blue collar work ethic and his ability to adapt to the ever changing NHL game.