STEPHEN HALLIDAY

2024-04-23

Scout: Grant Campbell

Skating:

He can get up to speed but it takes him a few strides. He won't win many foot races for the puck.

Passing/Handling:

Halliday has a very long reach, which allows him to make zone entries by carrying the puck and then look for the pass. He has good vision and a nice pass on his forehand. He has very good hands in tight and shields the puck well while carrying it.

Shooting:

He has a decent snap or wrist shot but he is a pass first center who averaged about 1.8 shots on goal per game in college.

IQ (Vision, Anticipation, Panic/Poise):

He seems to have fairly good vision on finding the open man offensively, but struggles to pick up the correct check or the right spot on the ice defensively. He has above-average anticipation and has almost too much poise with the puck as he can be guilty of over handling it.

Forechecking:

Halliday is a perimeter player who, despite having very good size, struggles along the boards to win puck battles. He is rarely the first forward in on the forecheck, because of his lack of foot speed.

Defense:

In the three games I watched, there was at least one example in each game of Halliday, losing his positioning in front of his own net or leaving a check unmarked. He can also be guilty of leaving his own zone early and taking long shifts.

Best Asset:

his passing and stickhandling are his best asset as he can be a fixture on the power play and help run it off the half wall.

Biggest Concern:

skating, defensive play and lack of physicality

Top Tier/Role Potential:

Bottom-six forward in the NHL who could play on the powerplay

Justification for Top Tier Assessment:

He has the size and skill to control the puck and make plays at the NHL level. He would really have to improve his defensive play and be much stronger in the faceoff circle, along the boards and go to dangerous areas to even get the chance to play in the NHL.

50th Percentile Tier/Role:

top-six forward in the AHL

Justification for 50th Percentile Tier Assessment:

He doesn't have the skillset to play in the top-six in the NHL, but doesn't have the defensive game to play in the bottom-six either. He is like a lot of players in the AHL who get caught between not being an ideal bottom-six NHL forward but being an offensive player in junior/college or the AHL.

Stylistic Comparable:

Joe Thornton

Scouts Final Thoughts and Additional Stats/Info:

Halliday turned pro after two years at Ohio State and played 10 games with Bellevue in the AHL at the end of the 2023-24 regular season and put up five assists as the third-line center. He should get some valuable playoff experience at the pro level as well.

Games Scouted:

March 11th, 2023, January 20th, 2024 and March 1st, 2024