Utica's Brian Halonen passes the puck at the Adirondack Bank Center on Friday, March 22, 2024.

New Jersey Devils Reassign Brian Halonen and Colton White to AHL, Hurricanes Send Ty Smith to Minors

NHL hopefuls Halonen, White, and Smith return to AHL to solidify their performance and aim for a full-time NHL roster spot.

Utica's Brian Halonen passes the puck at the Adirondack Bank Center on Friday, March 22, 2024.

The New Jersey Devils have sent forward Brian Halonen and defenseman Colton White to the AHL’s Utica Comets. Both players acted as substitutes for the team’s final few matches. White did not enter the lineup at all during his three-day recall, whereas Halonen played in one game during his four days on the NHL roster.

Both athletes have been at the forefront of Utica’s lineup for most of the season. Halonen is at the top of the team in goals (13) and is tied for the lead in points (21) across 31 games. White has been effective as well, tallying 11 points in 26 games, which places him third among defensemen in scoring, behind Seamus Casey and Simon Nemec.

#NEWS: We've assigned F Brian Halonen and D Colton White to Utica (AHL).https://t.co/8iNksc2ZhH
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) January 20, 2025

Nonetheless, neither athlete has broken into a regular NHL position. Halonen has played his initial three NHL games of his career over this season and the last, yet he is still in pursuit of his first point.

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White has participated in 84 NHL career games and earned 10 points, but he hasn’t competed in the top league since the 2022–23 season. By making this move, the pair will aim to secure a permanent position in the top league through impressive performance in the minor leagues.

Throughout the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes have once again sent defenseman Ty Smith to the AHL, according to NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. Smith has switched between teams throughout the entire season.

He has managed to score two points in eight NHL games and 10 points in 13 AHL games this season. Smith has maintained his productivity in the minor leagues, following his 43 points in 63 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year. He remains a step short of a regular NHL position, particularly with a strong Hurricanes defense in place.

Image Credit- Daniel DeLoach/Utica Observer-Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Anamika Shrivastava

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