SENSNEWS

The Ottawa Senators have signed centre prospect Stephen Halliday to a two-year entry-level contract. Halliday’s season came to an end with Ohio State after being beaten out of the Big Ten tournament, and he is now expected to suit up for the Belleville Senators in the midst of their playoff push.

Stephen Halliday Signs ELC With Ottawa Senators

Stephen Halliday Stats

Stephen Halliday finished off his NCAA career with 19 goals and 77 points in 78 career games. He led the Ohio State Buckeyes in scoring this year with 36 points in 38 games, including 10 goals. The next closest player on his team was Scooter Brickey, who scored just 26 points.

Needless to say, Halliday was expected to do most of the heavy lifting for Ohio State on offense. If you had to classify Halliday as any type of player, it would definitely be a playmaker.

Halliday finished tied for 24th in the entire NCAA for assists with 20 this season. He also finished eighth in assists last season with 32.

Important to note was that he played three more games in that season. With Ohio State not having the strongest roster in the NCAA, Halliday’s numbers are that much more impressive.

On most occasions, he was looked to carry his team on offense. With some of the powerhouse teams in the NCAA, players can easily pick up some free points with how often the team scores. But that was not the case with Halliday and Ohio State.

Where Will Stephen Halliday Play

Halliday’s two year deal begins in the 2024-2025 season. For the remainder of this year, he is actually on an ATO with the Belleville Senators. So, he will be able to play with the minor league club for the rest of this season, and hopefully into the playoffs as well.

When he joins the Belleville Senators, expect Halliday to step into the top nine. At 6’3″and 214lbs, he should be an effective piece either on the wing or at centre. With that size, he should have no issue adjusting to the physicality of pro hockey. Hopefully we can see him play in at least one of the games this weekend against Laval or Hartford.

What Should Fans Expect From Stephen Halliday

If you are expecting Halliday to instantly step up in the lineup and become a high-impact player, you may need to adjust your thinking. While he is a talented player and could absolutely be a valuable piece in the future, he will need some time to adjust to pro play.

Learning a new system and meeting a ton of new teammates will be the top priority for Halliday. As the season progresses, expect him to get more and more comfortable and become increasingly productive on the ice.

Prior to the start of this season, Halliday was my sixth-ranked prospect on the Ottawa Senators. A lot of what I said about him then stands true today, he can hopefully become an impactful playmaker at the NHL level, and hopefully play on a third line in the future.

An interesting note is also that Stephen Halliday was one of the most notable prospects at the Senators’ development camp this year.

Along with Tyler Kleven and Tyler Boucher, Halliday was given praise from all sorts of members of management as being one of the most dominant players on the ice throughout the camp.

Welcome to Ottawa, Stephen! Hopefully, this is the start of a long and successful career in the nation’s capital.