Overview
- Ottawa agreed to a two-year extension worth $1.075 million per season for Stephen Halliday, locking in a young center who split time between the NHL and AHL.
- The contract removes his pending restricted free agent status that would have followed the July 1 expiry of his March 2024 entry-level deal.
- Halliday was a 2022 fourth-round pick who starred in the USHL with 95 points, then led Ohio State in scoring and finished college with 77 points in 78 games.
- After turning pro, he posted nine points in seven AHL playoff games and produced 19 goals and 51 points over 71 games as an AHL rookie.
- In 2025–26 he hit a point-per-game pace in Belleville and added four goals and 11 points in 30 NHL games with limited minutes, with scouts pointing to gains in skating, pace, and inside-contact play as the next step.