The day felt a bit odd for him. Center Jeff Halpern spoke about the Capitals’ future, optimistic about where they are headed. What he didn’t know was how he fit into those plans.
And that made yesterday’s final team gathering at Piney Orchard unusual for the lone Washington native on the roster. Halpern has played six seasons for Washington, but he’s an unrestricted free agent.
“It would be an unusual feeling [to leave],” said Halpern, who is from Potomac, Md. “It would be weird to think about not playing here.”
Halpern said he wants to take time off, allowing him to not make an emotional decision.
“I’ll see how it unfolds,” he said.
Halpern had a tough season at times because of injuries that sidelined him for 12 games and bothered him in others. They contributed to a sluggish start, which prevented him from being named to the U.S. Olympic team.
But he served as a captain for the Capitals. He has enjoyed playing here; his mother diedlast year, but his father continued to attend home games as did a number of friends. Plus this season was fun, despite winning only 29 games and missing the playoffs.
“I don’t know if I’ve had as much fun off the ice with a group of guys,” Halpern said. “The biggest thing is the framework is in place. We didn’t have that two years ago.”
But will Halpern be part of that framework next season?
“We don’t want to break up the chemistry,” Capitals coach Glen Hanlon said. “We want to keep as many pieces in place.”
Nothing is certain, however. That’s why he called the season finale in Tampa Bay “surreal.” And he called Monday’s home finale “sad and different.” He just wasn’t sure if he could call it the end.
