Early life

Halpern was born in Potomac, Maryland, to Gloria (née Klein) and Melvin Halpern. Halpern attended Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, which did not have a hockey team. In order to pursue his dreams as a hockey player, Halpern transferred to and later graduated from St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire where he was roommates with future The Bachelorette winner Ian McKee. He then attended and graduated from Princeton University.

Tragedy struck on February 11, 2005, when his mother, Gloria, along with his aunt Debbie, and uncle Alan, were killed in an automobile accident.

Playing career

Undrafted, Halpern began his NHL career in the 1999-2000 NHL season for the Washington Capitals. He played in 79 games, scoring 18 goals with 11 assists, and was +21. He was the first member of the Capitals to come from the Washington, D.C. area.

The 2003-04 NHL season was his highest-scoring season to date as he finished with 19 goals and 27 assists in 79 games.

During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Halpern played for the Kloten Flyers and for HC Ajoie in Switzerland, and returned to the Capitals when the lockout ended. On September 23, 2005, the Washington Capitals named Halpern the twelfth team captain in franchise history. In the 2005-06 NHL season, he scored 11 goals, and added a career-high 33 assists.

On July 5, 2006, Halpern left the Capitals as a free agent and signed a four-year deal with the Dallas Stars.

On February 26, 2008, Halpern was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning along with Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen, and a 2009 4th-round draft pick in exchange for Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist. Halpern scored a goal in his Lightning debut, and added an assist. After being acquired by the Lightning, Halpern went on a huge hot streak, scoring 10 goals and 18 points in 19 games. He also led the league during the 2007-08 NHL season in games played as one of only two players to appear in 83 games, or one more than a team's full schedule, as a result of his trade to Tampa Bay. The other was Brian Campbell. Playing in 52 games during the 2008-09 NHL Season, Halpern scored seven goals to go with nine assists.

Halpern was named the captain of the United States national team for the 2008 World Championships in Canada. Playing in a 5-4 loss in the opening round against the Canadian team on May 6, 2008, he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and was expected to be out of action for 6-8 months. This occurred in the same game where USA goaltender Tim Thomas was injured and had to leave the team.

Halpern was traded from the Lightning to the Los Angeles Kings March 3, 2010, in exchange for Teddy Purcell and a 3rd round draft pick in 2010.

On September 7, 2010, Halpern signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens. He signed a one-year contract worth $825,000 to return to his original team the Washington Capitals on July 1, 2011.

On July 9, 2012, once again as a veteran free agent, Halpern was signed to a one-year deal with the New York Rangers. With the 2012-13 season delayed due to the lockout, Halpern made his debut with the Rangers in the shortened season opener on the fourth line in a defeat against the Boston Bruins on January 19, 2013. In 30 games with the Rangers as a checking line forward, Halpern produced one assist before he was claimed off waivers to return to the Montreal Canadiens on March 23, 2013. For the season, he had a goal and two assists in 46 games for the Rangers and Canadiens.

In 13 NHL seasons at that point he had 147 goals and 214 assists (361 points) in 907 regular-season games. He also had seven goals and 14 points in 39 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

On September 16, 2013, Halpern signed a one-year contract with Finnish Elite League team TPS, and was expected to make his SM-liiga debut in October. His contract included an NHL-clause. With the team, he scored four goals in eight games.

On October 12, 2013. Halpern left the Finnish team and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. It will pay him $600,000 in the NHL, and $75,000 in the AHL.

Personal life

Halpern, who is Jewish, is a member of the Greater Washington (D.C.) Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Halpern sat out a game in 2005 to observe Yom Kippur.

He has been married to former Redskins cheerleader Kelley Cornwell, a convert to Judaism, since June 2011. The couple have four children.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1995-96	Princeton University	ECAC		29	3	11	14	30		—	—	—	—	—
1996-97	Princeton University	ECAC		33	7	24	31	35		—	—	—	—	—
1997-98	Princeton University	ECAC		36	28	25	53	46		—	—	—	—	—
1998-99	Princeton University	ECAC		33	22	22	44	32		—	—	—	—	—
1998-99	Portland Pirates	AHL		6	2	1	3	4		—	—	—	—	—
1999-00	Washington Capitals	NHL		79	18	11	29	39		5	2	1	3	0
2000-01	Washington Capitals	NHL		80	21	21	42	60		6	2	3	5	17
2001-02	Washington Capitals	NHL		48	5	14	19	29		—	—	—	—	—
2002-03	Washington Capitals	NHL		82	13	21	34	88		6	0	1	1	2
2003-04	Washington Capitals	NHL		79	19	27	46	56		—	—	—	—	—
2004-05	HC Ajoie	NLB		15	5	12	17	52		—	—	—	—	—
2004-05	Kloten Flyers	NLA		9	7	4	11	6		—	—	—	—	—
2005-06	Washington Capitals	NHL		70	11	33	44	79		—	—	—	—	—
2006-07	Dallas Stars	NHL		76	8	17	25	78		7	2	1	3	4
2007-08	Dallas Stars	NHL		64	10	14	24	40		—	—	—	—	—
2007-08	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		19	10	8	18	14		—	—	—	—	—
2008-09	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		52	7	9	16	32		—	—	—	—	—
2009-10	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		55	9	8	17	27		—	—	—	—	—
2009-10	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		16	0	2	2	12		6	0	0	0	4
2010-11	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		72	11	15	26	29		4	1	0	1	0
2011-12	Washington Capitals	NHL		69	4	12	16	24		2	0	0	0	4
2012-13	New York Rangers	NHL		30	0	1	1	8		—	—	—	—	—
2012-13	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		16	1	1	2	2		3	0	1	1	0
2013-14	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		69	5	7	12	24		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				976	152	221	373	641		39	7	7	14	31

International

Medal record
Representing United States
Ice hockey
World Championships
	2004 Prague

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000	United States	WC	5th		7	1	1	2	4
2001	United States	WC	4th		9	1	1	2	8
2004	United States	WC	03 !		9	2	2	4	4
2004	United States	WCH	4th		4	0	0	0	7
2005	United States	WC	6th		7	1	0	1	6
2008	United States	WC	6th		3	0	1	1	4
Senior totals					39	5	5	10	33

[ Source: Wikipedia ]