The 2022 NHL Draft has come and gone and the Ottawa Senators should be the talk of the Old Line State, as they chose two Maryland products during the draft. Stephen Halliday (Glenwood) and Cameron O’Neill (Odenton) were both selected on day two of the Draft after both had very impactful seasons in 2021-22.
First to go was Halliday, who went in the 4th round (104th overall), is coming off a stellar campaign that saw him net 35 goals and 95 points in the USHL. With that scoring, Halliday was able to eclipse the Dubuque Fighting Saints all-time assists and points record with 123 assists and 181 points in 160 games with the Saints. Born in Glenwood, MD; Halliday plied his craft in the Greater Toronto Area as a youth player before heading to the USHL. He’ll be heading to the Ohio State University next season.
“Halliday is an older kid coming out of the USHL and he’ll go to Ohio State next year,” Ottawa assistant GM Trent Mann mentioned to the media. “If you look at the numbers, he’s a high offensive kid. He’s a bigger kid, as well. He’s the type of kid we’ve kept an eye on and we like where he’s at right now.”
O’Neill went the next round at 143rd overall after a big season at Mount St. Charles Academy. The former Spalding High School and Team Maryland forward put up 66 goals and 145 pints in 18U play, while also netting a goal and assist in his four games with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. A UMass-Amherst commit, O’Neill will most likely make the jump to the USHL for a full season there in 2022-23.
“He’s a kid with offensive upside and players the game hard, as well,” Mann said of O’Neill. “This is a kid who’s going to take a little time, but we’re comfortable with that with where we’re at, so we can afford to wait a little longer on him.”
Hopefully, the Senators enjoy a little Old Bay with the influx of Maryland talent coming into their organization.
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