Nolan Baumgartner (born on March 23, 1976 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian professional hockey defenceman. He is listed at 6'2, 205lbs. Baumgartner currently plays for the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks. He has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals. He was drafted 10th overall by Washington in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. By coincidence, two of his co-defenders with Vancouver were selected in the same round of the same year as he was: Ed Jovanovski went first overall to Florida, and Mattias Öhlund was taken 13th overall by Vancouver.
Baumgartner played his junior hockey for the Kamloops Blazers where he won the accolades of WHL and CHL Defenseman of the Year in 1995 and 1996, and was an instrumental part of the Blazers' 1995 and 1996 Memorial Cup championships, winning the WHL Playoff MVP Award in 1995. Baumgartner also represented Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in 1995 and 1996, winning gold both years, and captaining the team in '96.
His NHL career got off the a rocky start due to a serious shoulder injury. After repeated stints in the minors, Baumgartner began to rise again with the Vancouver Canucks. He captained their AHL affliate Manitoba Moose in the lockout season of 2004-05, and cracked the NHL lineup in 2005. He set career highs while playing a regular shift for the Canucks in 2005-06, and is a notable conributor on the power play.
