NHL goalie Braden Holtby finally gets tortoises over Canadian border after delay

This shell game is complete.

After a multiday delay, Braden Holtby and his two pet tortoises have successfully crossed the Canadian border.

The Saskatchewan-born Holtby spent the first 10 years of his NHL career with the Washington Capitals, but signed with the Vancouver Canucks this offseason and is therefore moving back to Canada and bringing the tortoises, Honey and Maple, with him.

Braden Holtby (left) loves his tortoises Honey and Maple (not pictured). (Ethan Miller and Shutterstock/)

But it was a slow and steady process, which his wife, Brandi, chronicled on Twitter.

“Hey Twitter, does anyone have any sweet connections with Federal Fish and Wildlife that could push some export papers along in order to get two happy tortoises across the border?” Brandi wrote Wednesday.

She later confirmed that “Braden is stuck at the border with two tortoises.”

But casting a wide net for those Fish and Wildlife connections worked, and the Holtbys got the tortoise-export paperwork through the agency. Braden successfully crossed the border Friday afternoon.

“Welcome to Canada, Honey and Maple! Huge shout out to [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service] for working so hard for us! Thank you for everyone’s concern,” Brandi wrote. “NOW you may laugh at the image of Braden being stuck at the border with a tortoise under each arm.”

The USFWS responded with a pun-filled tweet, then posted a second to let other people know which permits are necessary for international tortoise travel.

It is unknown how many hares crossed the border while Holtby, Honey and Maple were stuck.