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Brian Halonen, New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Devils’ Brian Halonen Confident Despite Limited NHL Action

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Daniel Amoia | Last updated Feb 2, 2025 8:45 AM ET

New Jersey Devils forward Brian Halonen’s early career has been the definition of a glass half full, half empty situation. On one hand, the undrafted skater from Michigan Tech grinded his way into receiving a professional contract. The now 26-year-old has dominated the American Hockey League (AHL), scoring 35 goals in his last 69 games.

On the other hand, he’s skated in just four NHL games since his first call-up 343 days ago – never more than two at a time. “Everyone knows it’s the NHL, it’s the hardest league in the world,” Halonen told The Hockey Writers (THW). “You can’t get down about it. There’s nothing good to come from that, you just gotta keep working and be ready when the time comes.”

On Jan. 27th against the Philadelphia Flyers, Halonen played a career-high 16:13. He notched two shots on goal and was even trusted to come out in an extra attacker situation late in the game. He didn’t notch a point, but he helped start the sequence that led to a Timo Meier goal. “I thought I played well,” he said. “Obviously, there’s some plays I’d want back, but overall, I thought I played all right.”

Limited NHL Action

The Devils played primarily in the offensive end when he was on the ice (shot attempts were 22-8 in favor of the Devils), but he was healthy scratched for Kurtis MacDermid in the following contest. Despite this, he gave some perspective about his journey and how it’s helped him stay focused: “The biggest thing is consistency. I think for everyone in the pro game, you can’t have just one good game a week, or a couple good games a month. You need to really work to develop that consistency, because it’s a long year. If you keep pressing and never give up, you’ll never take games off. You’ll be many steps ahead.”

He then added, “Everyone (here) is super helpful…For the most part, everyone in the locker room has been in the position I am. They know what it feels like. Everyone’s always generous with their time and generous in helping out. Just a collective effort. Everyone’s been great.”

It could be very easy for a player in his position to become frustrated. But there are a few reasons that he’s able to stay so dedicated despite the hardships, the first being his journey before turning pro. Just a few years ago, Halonen was interning at mechanical engineering companies while working towards his Bachelor’s Degree. Having scored just 21 and 22 points in his first two seasons, a career in hockey was far from a certainty. “(My internships) were during the summer when I was in college, going through engineering school. That was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. But obviously hockey is what I want to do… I always had the belief that I could,” he said.

Being able to balance training for a hockey career with engineering school is no small task, but Halonen successfully raised his game while simultaneously earning his degree. His 44 points in 37 games during his senior season caught the eye of the Devils, who officially inked him to a deal on Mar. 28, 2022.

The next reason is one that is certainly not easy for a young player, but he completely steers away from social media, allowing him to focus on his craft. “I don’t really use social media at all,” he said. “I deleted a lot of the social apps a long time ago. I just use (my phone) to connect with my family and friends. There’s just a lot of mindless scrolling on social media apps, you know, in general it’s a big waste of time.”

THW asked Devils’ head coach Sheldon Keefe for his thoughts on Halonen, and he said, “It’s the NHL, you know, and he’s a guy that’s trying to find his way. So (he needs to) take advantage of every rep, even on a day like today where he had to take some reps on defense just to help our practice be more efficient. It’s just the reality of the league, you know, stay ready. I think he’s a confident guy. He looks good to me out there in the practice drills, passing the puck around and shooting it well. He feels good about his game with where he’s at at the American League level. So he’s trying to enjoy every moment that he has here…It’s not an easy league to crack into. You know, opportunities kind of come and go, and it’s not always in your control – or certainly, almost never in your control. All it is (about) is how prepared you are when you get the call.”

Even if Halonen isn’t able to crack the lineup regularly this season, there’s reason to believe he can in 2025-26. Nathan Bastian is coming off the books after this season but Halonen will still be under contract. His 0.51 goals per game (G/GP) in the AHL over the past two seasons is nearly double Bastian’s 0.28 G/GP from his final two before becoming an NHL mainstay. They possess a lot of similar traits, but Halonen’s shot has much more upside. “I try to be a power forward that brings the puck to the net, and try to use my strengths, which is my shot and my ability to score and get to the dirty areas,” said Halonen. “I’m not like a flashy skill guy like Jack or Bratt, I try to get to the dirty areas and kind of play that strong game.”

Halonen has not shied away from dropping the gloves or laying the body in the AHL, as the 6-foot-tall winger weighs 207 pounds. That, combined with his scoring touch, could make him a key part of the bottom-six for a contending Devils team in the near-future.