Milos Holan was a solid playmaker and positional defenceman whose promising career was cut down by cancer in 1996. He was a fine domestic and international player for Czechoslovkia and the Czech Republic before heading to North America.
Born in Blovec, Czechoslovakia, Holan excelled with TJ Vitkovice and Dukla Trencin and helped his country win bronze at the 1990 and 1991 World Junior Championships. He also helped Dukla Trencin win consecutive league championships in 1991 and 1992 and the Czech Republic capture the bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships. In 1993 the gifted blueliner was chosen 77th overall by Philadelphia and named the Czech player of the year.
Holan experienced a few growing pains during an eight game stint as an NHL rookie with Philly in 1993-94. The rest of the year he provided slick playmaking and speed on the AHL's Hershey Bears. After scoring 22 goals in 55 games for Hershey, Holan was traded to Anaheim for Anatoli Semenov. He excelled in the last 25 games of the 1994-95 season before he was diagnosed with Chronic Granuloctic leukemia two months into the 1995-96 schedule.
