Pontus Holmberg

Pontus Holmberg
Holmberg with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024
Born	(1999-03-09) 9 March 1999 (age 26) Västerås, Sweden
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Tampa Bay Lightning Växjö Lakers Toronto Maple Leafs
National team	Sweden
NHL draft	156th overall, 2018 Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career	2018–present

Pontus Holmberg (born 9 March 1999) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

He made his debut for Växjö Lakers in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) in 2018, playing two games. In the 2020–21 SHL season, the Växjö Lakers were the top team in the regular season. They won the Le Mat Trophy as the playoff winners, with Holmberg awarded the Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy as the playoff MVP with seven goals and 14 points in 14 playoff games. ^[1]

He was drafted 156th overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2018 NHL entry draft after the team traded for the opportunity to select him. ^[2] On 4 June 2021, Holmberg was signed by the Maple Leafs to a two-year, entry-level contract. He would remain in the SHL with the Växjö Lakers on loan from Toronto for the 2021–22 season, ^[3] but after his team's SHL season ended, he played the last six games of the Toronto Marlies season, scoring two goals and four points.

Holmberg joined the Maple Leafs for training camp before the 2022–23 season. He was considered among the young players who could make the team out of camp. ^[4] Holmberg was demoted to the Toronto Marlies and played seven games with them before being recalled to the Maple Leafs. ^[5] He played his first NHL game on 2 November versus the Philadelphia Flyers, ^[6] and scored his first NHL goal on Vítek Vaněček on 23 November versus the New Jersey Devils in New Jersey. ^[7]

Holmberg took part in the Maple Leafs' 2023 training camp but failed to make the team. He was assigned to the Marlies to begin the season. However, after Tyler Bertuzzi was injured, Holmberg was recalled on 20 October. ^[8] He played in seven games with the Maple Leafs before being returned to the Marlies. ^[9] He made the Maple Leafs out of the 2024 training camp, playing on third line with Max Pacioretty and Nick Robertson. ^[10]

Upon the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, Holmberg was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Maple Leafs to retain his rights and subsequently released to unrestricted free agency, largely due to the arbitration rights Holmberg would have been privy to as an experienced restricted free agent. ^[11] On 1 July 2025, the opening day of free agency, Holmberg signed a two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, carrying an average annual value of $1.55 million. ^[12]

International play

Medal record
Representing   Sweden
Ice hockey
World Championships
	2024 Czechia

Holmberg was selected for Sweden's junior team at the 2019 World Juniors where the team was upset by Switzerland in the quarterfinals of the tournament. ^{[13] [14]} He represented Sweden at the 2022 Winter Olympics, where Sweden was defeated by Slovakia in the bronze medal game. ^{[13] [15]} At the 2024 IIHF World Championship he won a bronze medal, while playing on a line with Lucas Raymond and André Burakovsky. He appeared in ten games, registering six assists. ^[13]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2015–16	VIK Västerås HK	J18		32	9	25	34	8		2	2	0	2	0
2016–17	VIK Västerås HK	J18		8	9	11	20	6		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	VIK Västerås HK	J18 Allsv		2	0	0	0	0		8	4	4	8	0
2016–17	VIK Västerås HK	J20		45	6	12	18	10		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	VIK Västerås HK	J20		12	5	6	11	4		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	VIK Västerås HK	Div.1		36	7	13	20	10		8	2	4	6	2
2017–18	Växjö Lakers	SHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Växjö Lakers	SHL		47	3	7	10	12		7	0	0	0	2
2019–20	Växjö Lakers	SHL		52	7	10	17	14		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Växjö Lakers	SHL		45	9	14	23	16		14	7	7	14	8
2021–22	Växjö Lakers	SHL		46	11	30	41	44		4	0	1	1	2
2021–22	Toronto Marlies	AHL		6	2	2	4	2		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Toronto Marlies	AHL		38	10	12	22	18		7	6	2	8	2
2022–23	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		37	5	8	13	18		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Toronto Marlies	AHL		11	6	4	10	4		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		54	7	10	17	18		7	0	0	0	2
2024–25	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		68	7	12	19	27		12	0	1	1	4
SHL totals				192	30	61	91	86		25	7	8	15	12
NHL totals				159	19	30	49	63		19	0	1	1	6

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2019	Sweden	WJC	5th		5	0	0	0	0
2021	Sweden	WC	9th		2	0	0	0	0
2022	Sweden	OG	4th		6	0	2	2	0
2024	Sweden	WC			10	0	6	6	0
Junior totals					5	0	0	0	0
Senior totals					18	0	8	8	0

Awards and honours

Award	Year
SHL
Le Mat Trophy (Växjö Lakers)	2021	[1]
Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy	2021	[1]

References

1. "Vaxjo go 3-for-3 in SHL finals". International Ice Hockey Federation. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
2. Stewart, Brian (23 June 2018). "Toronto Maple Leafs Trade For 156th Pick, Select Pontus Holmberg". Pensionplanpuppets.com. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
3. "Maple Leafs sign Pontus Holmberg". Toronto Maple Leafs. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
4. Kloke, Joshua (21 September 2022). "Maple Leafs training camp notebook: Competition, Sandin's absence, Matthews' contract". The Athletic. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
5. "Maple Leafs loan Simmonds to Marlies, recall Holmberg". Sportsnet. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
6. Zwolinksi, Mark (2 November 2022). "Rookie Pontus Holmberg will make his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs against the Flyers". Toronto Star. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
7. Canavan, Tom (23 November 2022). "Devils' 13-game win streak halted by Maple Leafs amid hat trick of disallowed goals". CBC Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
8. Fox, Luke (20 October 2023). "Maple Leafs look to shake up bottom six by recalling Pontus Holmberg". Sportsnet. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
9. "Maple Leafs' Pontus Holmberg: Dropped to AHL". CBS Sports. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
10. Casaletto, Lucas (9 October 2024). "New-look Maple Leafs set for regular season opener in Montreal. What you need to know". CityNews. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
11. Barden, Nick (1 July 2025). "Why The Maple Leafs Didn't Qualify Pontus Holmberg As Player Signs With Lightning". The Hockey News . Retrieved 1 July 2025.
12. "Lightning sign forward Pontus Holmberg to a two-year contract". Tampa Bay Lightning. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
13. Alter, David (26 May 2024). "Maple Leafs' Pontus Holmberg Leads Sweden to Bronze, Triumphs Over John Tavares and Team Canada at World Hockey Championship". The Hockey News. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
14. "Switzerland upsets Sweden in world junior quarterfinal". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. 2 January 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
15. "Teen sensation scores pair as Slovakia blanks Sweden for Olympic men's hockey bronze". CBC Sports. Reuters. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Eurohockey.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database