Jeff Halpern

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Jeff Halpern
Jeff Halpern Coyotes.jpg
Halpern with the Coyotes
Born (1976-05-03) May 3, 1976 (age 47)
Potomac, MD, USA
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Center
Shot Right
Played for 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 1999–2014

Jeffrey Craig Halpern (born May 3, 1976) is an American former professional ice hockey player.

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.

He is currently the Player Development coach for the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.

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.

File:Jeff Halpern NYR.jpg
Halpern during his tenure with the Rangers.

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 have four children.

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
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 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 3rd 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

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External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by ECAC Hockey Most Outstanding Player in Tournament
1998
Succeeded by
Willie Mitchell
Sporting positions
Preceded by Washington Capitals captain
2005–06
Succeeded by
Chris Clark