He started his career in the Elitserien team Brynäs IF. He played for their senior team from 1996 to 2000. He then signed with the New York Rangers, who had drafted Holmqvist in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft (7th round/175 pick overall). Holmqvist only played three NHL games for the Rangers between 2000 and 2003. Most of his time was spent with the Rangers' farm team Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. On March 11, 2003 Holmqvist was traded to Minnesota Wild for Lawrence Nycholat. Holmqvist played the rest of the season with the Wild's farm team, the Houston Aeros of the AHL, and won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs as Houston won the league championship. The following season, 2003/04, he played with the Aeros. At the end of the season, he decided to move back to Sweden where signed with his former club, Brynäs IF. He played with them for two seasons and then, on June 1, 2006, he once again signed with an NHL club. He is currently with the Dallas Stars and is their No. 2 goaltender to Marty Turco after spending the season to the trade deadline with Tampa Bay.
