| Most fans know Minnesota is a special hockey community, and Brian Halonen’s parents demonstrated the unique dedication to the game that defines the region by building a rink in their yard every year for Brain and his older brother. Brian’s pride in his home state is clear “I played my youth hockey in my hometown Delano. I think the Minnesota model works well for most people. It allows athletes to play other sports which can help make better hockey players. Most kids in Minnesota play much less games in a season than other parts of the country, but we are always well represented in international competition so the state is doing something right.”
Brian has relished the opportunity to play for Delano High School in front of his hometown crowd, but was excited to have been drafted into the USHL this year “I was drafted by Des Moines in the 16th round of the phase two draft this year. I was in class when I got drafted and I didn’t find out until an hour later during passing time. One of my buddies told me and then I went online and saw my name. It was fun news to hear and it was a relief. I had hoped to get drafted and I felt like I had a good chance, but you never know until you see your name on the list.”
Halonen had a strong season at Delano nearly doubling his production from a year before with a 14-24-38 line in 25 games. Despite his play in high school, he didn’t start making moves up our ranking charts until the Minnesota Top 54 camp where his physicality, soft hands and composure began turning coach’s heads. He later attended the USA National Development Camp in Buffalo, NY in July.
While Brian was known throughout Minnesota, he entered the camp without a single offer but after a few days in Buffalo that was no longer the case. He assisted 5 goals in 5 games and earned a “B” rating by our scouts. Most importantly he left with an offer from Michigan Tech and took it. While he will be heading out of his home state for college, those Minnesota roots, and connection to his tightly-knit family, were an essential part of his ultimate decision. “Current [Michigan Tech] player Tyler Heinonen is also from Delano and he has had a positive experience. The hockey program has really bounced back since coach Mel Pearson came back a few years ago. My dad grew up 15 minutes from Houghton and I have some family up there so that had a big influence on my decision. My older brother is also studying mechanical engineering at Michigan Tech and he has had a great experience.”
This coming fall Brian plans to play in the Upper Midwest Elite League for team Northwest and return for his senior season back in Delano to make a run at the state tournament. “If all goes as planned, I will play with Des Moines after the completion of the high school season. I attended Des Moines camp earlier this summer and it was a good measuring stick. All of the returning players were there and I got to see first hand where I fit in.”
What can we expect to see from Brian this year? “I believe I am a power forward who sees the ice well and makes plays. I also like to shoot the puck. Something I would like to improve on is quickness, the first three step in hockey are very important.”
The 3.5-star prospect is the first forward to commit for the Class of 2018.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
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