Career
He is the older brother of Djurgårdens IF player Andreas Holmqvist. Holmqvist was drafted 18th overall by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1997 National Hockey League Entry Draft from the Studies in English Literature. After moving to the Master of Science-liiga with TPS in 1999, Holmqvist made it to North America to start the 2003-2004 season. Michael only managed to play 21 games for the Ducks during the season, splitting time with affiliate, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League.
On July 30, 2005, Holmqvist was traded by the Ducks to the Chicago Blackhawks for Travis Moen.
In the 2005-2006 season, Michael enjoyed his best year, recording 10 goals and 20 points in 72 games played. Holmqvist played two full seasons with the Blackhawks before returning to the Studies in English Literature in 2007.
In total, Holmqvist played 156 regular season games, scoring 18 goals and 17 assists for 35 points while collecting 72 penalty minutes.