Oli Bjorgvik-Holm– Mississauga Steelheads – Player Profile

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 200 Pounds

Date of birth: May 23, 2002

Hometown: Oslo, Norway

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 32nd overall, 2019 CHL Import Draft

NHL Central Scouting Rankings

A native of Oslo, Norway, Oli (Ole) Bjorgvik-Holm played midget hockey in the United States during the 2018-2019 season as an Alternate Captain Colorado Thunderbirds Under-16 squad. In 62 games he scored 21 goals and 32 assists. He was the 32nd overall pick of the Mississauga Steelheads at the 2019 CHL Import Draft. As a 15-year old (2017-2018 season) he played in Norway’s Under-16, Under-17 and Under-20 leagues.

Bjorgvik-Holm was also selected in the United States Hockey League Draft by the Tri-City Storm in the 18^th round, 282^nd overall at the 2018 USHL Phase II Draft. He was committed to attend the University of Denver to play NCAA Division I hockey, but on July 6, 2019 he decided to forego his NCAA eligibility and signed with the Steelheads.

Bjorgvik-Holm would appear in 57 games for the Steelheads and score twice while assisting on 17. Things looked very promising for the Mississauga defender when he registered 4 points in his first 6 games. He still managed to finish third among rookie defenders even though he slowed down from the pace he set in the first half dozen games.

Bjorgvik-Holm has some big size with some meat on his bones. He moves well for a big defender although his lateral movement could use some work. His pivoting from forward to backwards skating is smooth and rarely misses a stride. He has some good speed but could stand to work on his agility. He has a very active stick and with his long reach is very good a breaking up plays. He’s also not shy about using his big frame. He’ll use it to separate opponents from the puck and to win battles along the walls.

Bjorgvik-Holm’s bread and butter may be that of a defensive defenceman who can log big minutes, take on the oppositions top players and provide steady and efficient penalty killing for you. But he does come with some intriguing offensive abilities.

Bjorgvik-Holm is a smart player who knows what to do with and without the puck. He makes a very good first pass breaking out of his own zone, but he has shown flashes (and more confidence as the season progressed) of being able to skate out of his zone and transition to offence. He has also shown an ability to join the rush when the opportunity presents itself, but I believe he focuses more of his attention to defence so he’s not always showing that ability.

NHL Scouts are certainly going to be intrigued by the size and the ability to move, especially for a defender in today’s game. Bjorgvik-Holm will at the very least bring a solid defensive game at the next level. The question that needs answering is: how much offence can he bring to the table?

He could be a good find with a project tag attached in the later rounds.