Right now, the New Jersey Devils are taking a much-needed break from the NHL season. Seven players are in Milan, Italy, competing in the Olympics, and the rest of the roster is on vacation or rehabbing various injuries. Honestly, the fanbase needed a break from Devils hockey. This has been a trying season to be a fan.
Even things in the AHL have been bad. The Utica Comets are one of the worst teams in the standings. There really isn’t much to like about what’s going on for the Devils franchise as a whole. There’s way too much losing.
A few weeks ago, we learned of another loss for the Comets. Seamus Casey could not represent his team at the AHL All-Star Game, and they needed to find a replacement. That actually led to a nice moment, something that’s rare for the Devils and Comets these days.
Brian Halonen replaced Casey at the All-Star Game. It was deserved for a player who has been a good soldier for the Devils, and probably deserves to make a run in the NHL.
Halonen has 14 goals in 26 games in the AHL this season. He did get nine NHL games and only scored one goal, but the Devils are desperate for talent on the fourth line. Now that Lenni Hameenaho has established himself as a third liner, there’s room for another good winger on the fourth line. Do you think the Devils could use a player with a 100 MPH shot?
💯💯💯 pic.twitter.com/SZdsTXHQIS
— Utica Comets (@UticaComets) February 11, 2026
Halonen was the first player to hit 100 miles per hour in the hardest shot competition. Getting to triple digits is huge, especially for a forward. It doesn’t happen too often.
He did end up losing the competition to Belleville Senators forward Arthur Kaliyev, who hit an insane 104 miles per hour on his hardest shot. However, it’s still great to see Halonen part of the winning East team.