Princeton University Athletics
Capital Gains
September 21, 2001 | General
By all accounts, Jeff Halpern '99 enjoyed a very successful rookie season in the National Hockey League in 1999-2000.
In his first year out of Princeton, Halpern scored 18 goals for the Washington Capitals and earned serious consideration for NHL all-rookie team honors. He set a Caps rookie record with four shorthanded goals and led the team in playoff scoring with two goals and three points in five games. But anyone who had closely followed Halpern's career had to know that the Potomac, Md., native wouldn't be satisfied, despite his impressive debut.
No longer the young kid on the block, Halpern has been one of the Capitals' leaders this season. He surpassed his offensive numbers from the year before while proving to be more and more reliable for head coach Ron Wilson in virtually every situation. The Capitals entered the Stanley Cup playoffs having captured a second consecutive Southeast Division title.
"I think he gets more confidence in every game, and he knows what it takes to be a good player," says Caps assistant captain Calle Johansson. "He works hard every night, and that's what it takes."
"The guy never lets you down," praised Washington general manager George McPhee in Sports Illustrated. "I don't think he's played a bad shift for us, let alone a bad game."
Halpern's development follows a pattern of rapid growth that started when he was a young Capitals fan. He honed his skills in suburban Washington, D.C., which is far from a hockey hotbed. He made stops at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire and at junior hockey in Ontario before attracting attention from colleges, and he was never drafted by an NHL team. He scored just three goals as a Princeton freshman, but he averaged 25 in each of his last two seasons for the Tigers. He was a three-time team MVP and a two-time All-ECAC selection.
Former Princeton coach Don Cahoon called Halpern the key to turning the Tiger program around, and Halpern led the school to its only ECAC tournament championship in 1998. That same year he became the only Princeton player ever to score an NCAA tournament goal, last year, he became the first Princeton graduate ever to score a Stanley Cup playoff goal.
Still not content, he spent the summer showing his NHL teammates the same work ethic that was on display for four years in the Baker Rink weight room.
"I had a chance to work with him during the summer," says Peter Bondra, one of the NHL's leading goal scorers. "I believe he worked twice as much as anybody else."
Fittingly, Halpern's nickname on the team has its roots in the weight room. His stoic facial expression mirrored that of "Bob," the team's mannequin-like punching bag, and the Princeton grad quickly found himself sharing a name with a dummy.
Meanwhile, Halpern's real name has become more well known outside the Capitals locker room. The center plays a gritty style alongside veteran linemates Ulf Dahlen and Steve Konowalchuk, and the group was heralded as "the most underrated line in the league" by Sports Illustrated's Pierre McGuire and as the NHL's best checking line by The Hockey News.
Halpern kills penalties and skates on the power play. His line starts nearly every game, and its hard work along the boards gives Washington an immediate boost of energy. He often finishes games as well, whether the Capitals are protecting a lead or trying to overcome one.
Wilson has used the trio against the opponents' top line every night, including showdowns with Mario Lemieux and the Penguins. The 24-year-old has shown poise rarely found in players his age, and his line has had great success, not only in quieting the opposition, but in creating offense as well. Konowalchuk and Halpern are the team's top goal scorers behind Bondra.
"It's a lot of fun playing with those guys," says Halpern of Dahlen and Konowalchuk. "Every game it seems like we're dominating whatever line we're going against. Those two guys are probably the biggest reason for a lot of my success."
Halpern's humility may help explain his hard work last summer as well. While he had enjoyed personal success as a rookie, the team was upset in the first round of the playoffs. That was his focus in the off-season.
"Last year, as well as we did, I spent the whole summer disappointed at how we did in the playoffs," he says. "I was definitely anxious about getting back to the playoffs and hopefully doing a little more this year.
"There are still a lot of things I have to prove to the league, to my teammates and especially to myself," he adds. "I don't think I'll really feel satisfied here until I do a lot of those things."
With Halpern's constant focus on the future-and his history of constant improvement-he should be able to enjoy plenty more playoff seasons.
by Nate Ewell '96