Jeff Halpern
| Jeff Halpern | |
|---|---|
 Halpern with the Coyotes | |
| Born | May 3, 1976 Potomac, MD, USA |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb) |
| Position | Center |
| Shoots | Right |
| NHL team Former teams |
Free Agent Washington Capitals Dallas Stars Tampa Bay Lightning Los Angeles Kings New York Rangers Montreal Canadiens Phoenix Coyotes |
| National team |  United States |
| NHL Draft | Undrafted |
| Playing career | 1999–present |
Jeffrey Craig Halpern (born May 3, 1976) is an American professional ice hockey player. He is currently an Unrestricted Free Agent of the National Hockey League (NHL).
He previously played for the Washington Capitals twice, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Phoenix Coyotes. He was also captain of the United States national team for the 2008 World Championships.
In 13 NHL seasons, as of October 2013, he had 147 goals and 214 assists (361 points) in 907 regular-season games. He also had seven goals and 14 points in 39 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Early life
Halpern was born in Potomac, Maryland, to Gloria (née Klein) and Melvin Halpern.[1] Halpern attended Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, which did not have a hockey team. In order to pursue his dreams as a hockey player, Halpern transferred to and later graduated from St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire where he was roommates with future The Bachelorette winner Ian McKee. He then attended and graduated from Princeton University.
Tragedy struck on February 11, 2005, when his mother, Gloria, along with his aunt Debbie, and uncle Alan, were killed in an automobile accident.
Playing career
Undrafted, Halpern began his NHL career in the 1999–2000 NHL season for the Washington Capitals. He played in 79 games, scoring 18 goals with 11 assists, and was +21. He was the first member of the Capitals to come from the Washington, D.C. area.
The 2003–04 NHL season was his highest-scoring season to date as he finished with 19 goals and 27 assists in 79 games.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Halpern played for the Kloten Flyers and for HC Ajoie in Switzerland, and returned to the Capitals when the lockout ended. On September 23, 2005, the Washington Capitals named Halpern the twelfth team captain in franchise history.[2] In the 2005–06 NHL season, he scored 11 goals, and added a career-high 33 assists.
On July 5, 2006, Halpern left the Capitals as a free agent and signed a four-year deal with the Dallas Stars.
On February 26, 2008, Halpern was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning along with Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen, and a 2009 4th-round draft pick in exchange for Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist. Halpern scored a goal in his Lightning debut, and added an assist. After being acquired by the Lightning, Halpern went on a huge hot streak, scoring 10 goals and 18 points in 19 games. He also led the league during the 2007–08 NHL season in games played as one of only two players to appear in 83 games, or one more than a team's full schedule, as a result of his trade to Tampa Bay. The other was Brian Campbell. Playing in 52 games during the 2008-09 NHL Season, Halpern scored seven goals to go with nine assists.
Halpern was named the captain of the United States national team for the 2008 World Championships in Canada. Playing in a 5–4 loss in the opening round against the Canadian team on May 6, 2008, he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and was expected to be out of action for 6–8 months.[3] This occurred in the same game where USA goaltender Tim Thomas was injured and had to leave the team.[4]
Halpern was traded from the Lightning to the Los Angeles Kings March 3, 2010, in exchange for Teddy Purcell and a 3rd round draft pick in 2010.
On September 7, 2010, Halpern signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens. He signed a one-year contract worth $825,000 to return to his original team the Washington Capitals on July 1, 2011.
On July 9, 2012, once again as a veteran free agent, Halpern was signed to a one-year deal with the New York Rangers.[5] With the 2012–13 season delayed due to the lockout, Halpern made his debut with the Rangers in the shortened season opener on the fourth line in a defeat against the Boston Bruins on January 19, 2013.[6] In 30 games with the Rangers as a checking line forward, Halpern produced one assist before he was claimed off waivers to return to the Montreal Canadiens on March 23, 2013.[7] For the season, he had a goal and two assists in 46 games for the Rangers and Canadiens.[8]
In 13 NHL seasons at that point he had 147 goals and 214 assists (361 points) in 907 regular-season games.[8][9] He also had seven goals and 14 points in 39 Stanley Cup Playoff games.[9]
On September 16, 2013, Halpern signed a one-year contract with Finnish Elite League team TPS, and was expected to make his SM-liiga debut in October.[10] His contract included an NHL-clause.[11] With the team, he scored four goals in eight games.[12]
On October 12, 2013. Halpern left the Finnish team and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. It will pay him $600,000 in the NHL, and $75,000 in the AHL.[13][14]
Personal life
Halpern, who is Jewish,[15][16] is a member of the Greater Washington (D.C.) Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[17] Halpern sat out a game in 2005 to observe Yom Kippur.[18]
He has been married to former Redskins cheerleader Kelley Cornwell, a convert to Judaism, since June 2011.[19][20] The couple's first child was born in January 2012.[21]
Upon signing with the Capitals, Halpern was the first NHL player to have been raised in the American South to play on a roster; since then fellow players Patrick O'Sullivan, Jared Ross, Jamie Fritsch, Blake Geoffrion, and Jarred Tinordi have followed in his footsteps.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1995–96 | Princeton University | ECAC | 29 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Princeton University | ECAC | 33 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Princeton University | ECAC | 36 | 28 | 25 | 53 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Princeton University | ECAC | 33 | 22 | 22 | 44 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 79 | 18 | 11 | 29 | 39 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2000–01 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 60 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 17 | ||
| 2001–02 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 48 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 82 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 88 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 79 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Ajoie | NLB | 15 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Kloten Flyers | NLA | 9 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 70 | 11 | 33 | 44 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 76 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 78 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 64 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 19 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 52 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 55 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 16 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 72 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 69 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | New York Rangers | NHL | 30 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 69 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 976 | 152 | 221 | 373 | 641 | 39 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 31 | ||||
International
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for United States
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2004 Prague | |
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | United States | WC | 5th | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2001 | United States | WC | 4th | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2004 | United States | WC |  |
9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2004 | United States | WCH | 4th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 2005 | United States | WC | 6th | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
| 2008 | United States | WC | 6th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Senior totals | 39 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 33 | ||||
See also
Awards and honors
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| All-ECAC Hockey Second Team | 1997–98 |
| ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team | 1998 |
| All-ECAC Hockey Second Team | 1998–99 |
| ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team | 1999 |
References
- ↑ "4 Victims In Tanker Explosion Related". sun-sentinel.com. February 14, 2005. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ↑ Mike Vogel. "Hometown Hero". Archived from the original on June 20, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2006.
- ↑ TSN. "Lightning's Halpern expected to miss 6–8 months". Retrieved May 8, 2008.
- ↑ "USA Hockey". USA Hockey. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ↑ "Rangers sign Jeff Halpern to one-year deal". Washington Post. July 10, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
- ↑ "Rask stops 20 shots as Bruins defeat Rangers". CBS Sports. January 19, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
- ↑ "Canadiens claim veteran F Halpern off waivers". The Sports Network. March 23, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Phoenix Coyotes sign forward Jeff Halpern". Msn.foxsports.com. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Phoenic Coyotes sign Jeff Halpern – NHL Free Agency 2013". Nhl.com. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ↑ Eetu Ampuja, Turku (September 16, 2013). "TPS:n uusi vahvistus Jeff Halpern: "Minulla on edelleen kunnianhimoa NHL:ään" – SM-liiga – Ilta-Sanomat". Iltasanomat.fi. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ↑ "TPS:lle 900 NHL-ottelun sentteri – SM-LIIGA – 15.09.2013 – Uutiset – Jatkoaika.com – Kaikki jääkiekosta" (in Finnish). Jatkoaika.com. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ↑ ".". azcentral.com. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ↑ "Coyotes sign forward Halpern to one-year contract". Tsn.ca. February 28, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ↑ "Jeff Halpern NHL Salary Contract History". Capgeek.com. May 3, 1976. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ↑ "Jews (and Mel) on the big screen, Winter sports roundup". Jweekly. January 21, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
- ↑ "Professional Hockey Review: 2010–11; National Hockey League". Jewish Sports Review 8 (87): 7. September/October 2011, accessed September 15, 2011. Check date values in:
|date=(help); - ↑ Rodricks, Dan (April 10, 2001). "200,000 miles (320,000 km) not too far to chase an NHL dream". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
- ↑ "Capitals' Halpern Acts on Faith". washingtonpost.com. October 12, 2005. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ↑ "Jeff Halpern married a former Redskins Cheerleader". Washington Post. July 5, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
- ↑ David Elfin. "Bnai Brith Magazine – Winter 2011: Mitzvah on Ice". Mydigimag.rrd.com. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ↑ "Even after birth of first child, Braden Holtby focused as ever on game 7". NBC Sports. April 4, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
External links
- Jeff Halpern's player profile at NHL.com
- Jeff Halpern's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jason Elliott |
ECAC Hockey Most Outstanding Player in Tournament 1998 |
Succeeded by Willie Mitchell |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by Steve Konowalchuk |
Washington Capitals captain 2005–06 |
Succeeded by Chris Clark |