Former Colorado College Hockey forward Nick Halloran will make his professional debut with the LA Kings AHL outfit, Ontario Reign.
The Ontario Reign will have one of the most prolific rosters in the AHL regarding future talent in the NHL. Players like Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, Samuel Fagemo, Akil Thomas, and the 2020 second overall pick Quinton Byfield will make their professional debuts with the Reign this season. All those names are very highly regarded as players with bright futures in the NHL.
But lost in that group is former Hobey Baker Award nominee Nick Halloran.
Halloran was signed to the Reign last May and will also look to make his professional debut this year. The right-winger from Draper, UT, will look to follow former Kings fan favorite Trevor Lewis’s footsteps as one of the few NHL players to hail from the “Beehive State.”
I reached out to Kate Shefte, of the Colorado Springs Gazette, who followed Halloran during his time at Colorado College and believes he stands a great chance of doing well at the next level.
When asking for a summary of his time at Colorado College, she noted that his sophomore year was his best year. She also stated that his line with Mason Bergh and Trey Bradley was the best line in their conference.
"(Halloran’s) skating abilites shone and he had a way of charging up the ice and beating everyone, then scoring some highlight-reel goal. He was second-team All-American that year."
The goal below is a perfect example of those skating abilities.
https://twitter.com/TheNCHC/status/1190459006143193088?s=20
Kate believes Halloran is more of a playmaker than he would think.
"The coaching staff was always encouraging him to shoot more because he does have a good shot. His skating ability and hockey sense are probably his two greatest attributes."
It’ll be tough for Nick Halloran to stand out playing alongside names such as Kaliyev, Turcotte, and Byfield, but the former Tiger will definitely bring some speed.
It should be an exciting year for the Reign with the amount of talent on the roster.