Brian Halonen named a CCM/AHCA All-American
BOSTON – Michigan Tech senior forward Brian Halonen has been named a CCM/AHCA All-American announced during Friday Night at the Frozen Four in Boston. Halonen was honored on the West Second Team.
Halonen, a native of Delano, Minnesota, appeared in 139 games for the Huskies and tallied 105 career points with 53 goals and 52 assists. He became the 67th player in program history to reach the 100-point milestone and ended his career ranked 59th in points. Halonen was a Hobey Baker Top 10 Finalist and was named to the All-CCHA First Team.
Halonen signed a two-year, two-way entry-level NHL contract with the New Jersey Devils on March 28 as an undrafted free agent. The contract begins with the 2022-23 season, and Halonen has reported to the Utica Comets in the AHL and appeared in three games. He scored his first professional goal on April 2.
Halonen tallied a career-high 44 points as a senior with the Huskies in 37 games. He scored 21 goals and added 23 assists and led the nation in even-strength goals (18). He led the CCHA in points (36) and goals (16) during conference games. He also ranked fifth in the CCHA in assists (20) during league games and had an 11-game point streak from December 30-February 12, tallying eight goals and 10 assists during the stretch.
Halonen was named the CCHA Forward of the Month for February after tallying 14 points with six goals and eight assists and was named the Michigan Tech Winter Carnival MVP for the second time in his career with a goal and two assists in the series. Halonen scored game-winning goals at Clarkson (Oct. 29) and in overtime against St. Thomas (Dec. 10). He received all-conference honors for the second time in his career after being on the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 2019.
As a freshman, Halonen received the team's Norbert Matovich Memorial Outstanding Freshman Award after tallying 21 points with 12 goals and nine assists in 35 games. He had 22 points as a sophomore, 18 as a junior, and a career-high 44 as a senior. He tallied 11 power-play and 10 game-winning goals in his career.
Prior to Michigan Tech, Halonen played 67 games in the USHL for Des Moines and tallied 37 points on 18 goals and 19 assists. He was a Minnesota All-State selection for Delano High School and tallied 167 points in 96 high games across three seasons. The Tigers were sectional champions in 2017.
Fifteen different teams were honored with the naming of the top 24 college hockey players. Five players had been recognized as All-Americans previously. There were 18 players from nine different U.S. states and six Canadian players from two provinces. Minnesota State's Dryden McKay and Nathan Smith were other honorees from the CCHA.
Halonen's high school teammate and fellow co-captain at Delano, Ben Meyers, was also honored on the West Second Team. Meyers was a Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist as the captain with the Minnesota Gophers.
The CCM Hockey All-American Ice Hockey Teams are sponsored by CCM Hockey and chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association. CCM is the legendary hockey brand dedicated to the endless pursuit of performance by delivering game-changing, head-to-toe innovative hockey equipment to players worldwide.