(Photo credit Toronto Marlies / Christian Bonin)
TORONTO - Former Indy Fuel defenseman Justin Holl and the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies became the 2018 Calder Cup Champions Thursday night, defeating the Texas Stars 6-1 in Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals at Ricoh Coliseum. Holl becomes the first player to win an AHL title after spending time with the Fuel.
The 26-year-old defenseman appeared in all 20 of the Marlies' postseason games this spring, registering three goals and two assists - including two goals and an assist in the Calder Cup Finals against Texas. It is the second straight season where a former Indy player reached the Calder Cup Final - 2016-17 Fuel forward Kevin Lynch and the Syracuse Crunch finished runner-up to the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2017.
In his third season with the Marlies, Holl skated in 60 regular season games in 2017-18, posting seven goals and 21 assists while his plus-23 rating ranked fourth on the Toronto roster. On Jan. 31, the native of Tonka Bay, Minn. became the first Fuel graduate to appear in a National Hockey League game, scoring a goal during his debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Holl would score two goals in two NHL games before returning to the Marlies in early February.
Holl started his professional career with the Fuel back in 2014-15, tallying seven goals and 27 assists in 66 ECHL games. The product of the University of Minnesota appeared in two games with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs his rookie season, before earning a contract with the Marlies prior to the 2015-16 campaign.
Defenseman Sam Jardine, who played with the Fuel during the 2015-16 season, was also on the Marlies' 2018 Calder Cup Playoff roster, though he did not see any game action.
Ticket Plans for the Fuel's fifth anniversary season are now on sale! Lock up your seat for every second of the action in 2018-19 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum by heading to IndyFuelHockey.comor by calling the Fuel front office at 317-925-FUEL. Don't forget to follow the Fuel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (IndyFuel) for news, updates, contests and much more throughout the offseason.
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