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Brandi Holtby, nee Bodnar, is the wife of Washington Capitals goaltender, Braden Holtby. The Capitals are Stanley Cup champions, winning the trophy for the first time in the 44-year history of the team. The Caps beat the Las Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5.
Brandi Holtby has been cheering on her husband and his team throughout his career. She and her husband live in Alexandria, Virginia, with their two children, Benjamin and Belle.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. She’s a Huge Supporter of Her Husband
Brandi Holtby married Braden Holtby in 2013, and she knows all about that hockey wife life.
While she spends the majority of her time as a stay-at-home mom, Mrs. Holtby is a big hockey fan and she gets out to games whenever she can. With two little ones at home, it’s not always easy to head to Capital One Arena, but she will likely be on-hand to cheer on the Caps throughout this series — it’s the playoffs, after all.
A quick look at her Twitter page shows that Brandi eats, sleeps, and breathes hockey. She retweets a lot of videos and memes, and is a proud Capitals fan, through and through.
Brandi Holtby has strong family values and has dedicated her life to her husband and their kids.
2. She Was Born in Canada, But Currently Lives in Virginia
Brandi was born and raised in Canada, just like her husband. Braden Holtby started his career in Canada, but moved to the United States for hockey. He has played for the Capitals since 2010. Brandi moved to the States after she finished school, and she and Braden now own a home in Alexandria, Virginia, about 30 minutes from Capital One Arena.
The Holtbys chose to move to the Old Town neighborhood because they really liked the neighborhood — and the people who live there.
“We like the family feel of it. Our friends the Chimeras lived here at the time. We just like the community feel while still being in a city atmosphere—the history, the historic houses. The architecture is awesome. People are extremely nice and friendly. We primarily focused on Old Town because we loved how walkable it is. There’s a lot to do without going very far,” Braden Holtby told the Washingtonian in 2017.
In 2016, the Holtbys took in Caps prospect Nathan Walker. Walker lived in their home for a few months after he suffered a tear to his ACL. The deal turned out to be pretty clutch, as Walker ended up being the head of the Holtby household while Holtby went off to Team Canada’s training camp.
“They have a lot of fun with Walks. My wife certainly enjoys it. He’s a pretty good chef. We haven’t been struggling for food that’s for sure,” Holtby told the blog, the Russian Machine Never Breaks.
3. She Is a Mom of 2
The Holtbys are a happy family of four.
Braden and Brandi welcomed their first child, a son they named Benjamin Hunter Holtby, in 2012, the year before they tied the knot.
Brandi knew all about the stress of playoff hockey, but it was even more intense during her third trimester.
“I love you babe, but these games are getting too intense for your very preggy fiancee #contractions #preggyproblems,” she tweeted at the time.
Thankfully, baby Benjamin made his debut when his dad had a day off from work.
“The timing could not have been more perfect for Holtby. The Capitals were given the day off on Thursday and are scheduled to report to Kettler Capitals Iceplex for practice on Friday morning,” NBC Sports reported at the time.
Two years later, Brandi gave birth to her second child. Belle Scarlett Holtby made her debut to the world on May 29, 2014. Braden’s dad, Greg, made the announcement on Twitter.
4. She Caused Quite a Stir at the NHL Awards in 2017
At the 2017 NHL Awards, all eyes were on Holtby, who was on-hand to support his fellow players. The Caps goal minder had his wife on his arm, and she made quite the impression. Just about everyone was talking about how stunning Mrs. Holtby looked.
According to The Spun, Brandi caused a bit of a frenzy. Social media users couldn’t stop talking about how lucky of a guy Holtby was — even if he didn’t take home the coveted Vezina Trophy (awarded to the best goalie — he took it home in 2016).
“It’s pretty special and I hope he gets the praise that he deserves because he put in a lot of work and us goalies around the League realize that and appreciate [that] what he’s done this year is pretty special,” Holtby told the press about Columbus Blue Jackets goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky.
The social media consensus seemed to center around Holtby being “okay” without the award because he was already winning at life, thanks to his hot wife.
5. She’s Actively Involved in Several Capitals Wives’ Charitable Events & She & Her Husband Are Big Supporters of the LGBTQ Community
Brandi is very involved in various charity events and spends a good amount of time with other Capitals WAGs. She and her husband seem to always find ways to give back to those less fortunate.
This past February, for example, Brandi helped promote a fundraiser for the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation. She is constantly tweeting and retweeting about good causes and raising money to help others.
Additionally, Brandi and Braden are huge supporters of the LGBTQ community. Braden is a You Can Play ambassador for the Capitals, an organization that supports hockey inclusion. In 2017, Braden and Brandi walked in D.C.’s pride parade to show their support.
“It’s something that means a lot to me and my family and the Capitals organization. It’s just a way to show our support with the community. I come from a different place I guess, where it’s not as much of an issue, but it still is. It’s the way our families have always been…my wife’s and mine, and we just support equality and people being able to live their life. Things like this are little ways to (show) that. I hope it helps at least a few people live their life more enjoyably…and feel comfortable being themselves, because that’s what it’s all about,” Braden Holtby told USA Today after the event.
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Brandi Bodnar, Braden Holtby’s Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know