Halloran was the heart and soul of the Express in my viewings. He played with tremendous pace, commanded the charge in transition, and was the focal point of so much of their play. The quickness and puck skills were at the core of Jackon's game, as he had every tool to gain separation from defenders and dominate with the puck on his stick. He constantly transitioned the puck successfully, gained controlled zone entries, and attacked off the rush. Most of their scoring chance creation came from taking pucks wide and moving it to cutting or trailing teammates. In almost every viewing of the Express this season, Jackson has been the central standout, and it was fantastic to see that still be the case at this stage of the year.

Jackson has been the leading scoring threat for the Express all season, and he played like it in his first two high-stakes playoff games. Jackson is the leading puck transporter on his line and is a force in the neutral zone weaving out of, and around pressure to gain successful entry to the ozone. Once the zone has been gained, Jackson is able to make plays while maintaining speed, and is always processing what he thinks to be the best opportunities to put the puck in the net. If that means holding onto the puck and creating a shot attempt, he’ll do that, and that’s what I loved most about Halloran’s games here. He also scored the OT winner for the Express in game one.

Halloran was his usual self, dictating play through the middle of the ice all through his pace and crafty puck skills. Jackson showed his explosiveness through the neutral zone, creating plenty of separation through his feet. He showed flashes of quality playmaking off these zone entries, frequently spotting open teammates and hitting them with dangerous passes. The pace and transition involvement are always at the forefront of my notes with Jackson, but there's no shortage of puck skills and chance creation, yielding a well-rounded player who impacts many areas of the game.

Halloran was the primary puck transporter for the Express, mainly through his speed. The majority of my notes revolve around Jackson accelerating through the neutral zone, burning defenders, and sparking chances all through the advantages he can create with his feet. The pace and explosive skating are always at the forefront of his game, but his ability to handle the puck at top speed further adds to his ability as a puck manager. Even when he's zooming up ice, Jackson can maneuver the puck around defenders easily, enabling him to seamlessly transition the puck up ice almost every time he possesses it. This same quickness permitted Jackson to be a pest without the puck, frequently closing down defenders on the forecheck or applying pesky backpressure to make his opponents' life difficult.

Halloran was one of the main transition engines for York-Simcoe, often the one leading the charge, carrying the puck through the neutral zone. His combination of explosive skating and quick hands allowed him to easily navigate his way in and around pressure and enter the offensive third with control on almost every puck touch. He had one noteworthy transition sequence, where these evasive abilities were on full display to navigate around defenders, entering the offensive zone with control and taking the puck wide around the net for a wrap-around chance. These same puck skills were leveraged in tight quarters, as Jackson had a handful of impressive flashes of evading defenders along the wall and penetrating for a quality shot on target.

Entering the Toronto Titan's Tournament, Jackson was a player I was very familiar with and excited to see how he played in regular club play. Along with Bryson Morgan, I noted Halloran as one of the Express's main play drivers and facilitators. He was always able to chain plays together and drive dangerous results. Mainly as a playmaker, Halloran distributed the puck constantly to teammates in interior positions for dangerous scoring chances. He was eager to attack open gaps in the defence, frequently driving the middle lane for scoring opportunities. Off-puck, I found him to be relentless in applying pressure and also supporting the puck well to provide adequate defensive support low in his own zone. Entering the Titan's Tournament, Jackson was a player high on my watchlist, and it's always lovely to be reassured that they deserve that spot.

Halloran was a force down the middle of the ice. He used his explosive pace to push the play through the neutral zone and into the offensive third. All game long, he entered the offensive zone with control and sparked a chance off the rush. Using crafty puck touches to maneuver his way by defenders to access shooting lanes and open up gaps to thread passes through, Jackson was creating through many different ways.

The scorer of the lone goal for his team in this one, Jackson Halloran’s game was solid. He showed a very nice burst of speed that saw him quickly get up in the counterattack and receive a pass from the boards to send him in on a breakaway. He nearly lost control of the puck because he was moving so quickly bearing down on goal, but some adjustment of his stick positioning as well as some nice footwork saw him regain control and finish off his chance with a slick move to the backhand. He wasn’t consistently involved in the offense throughout this game and Minnesota’s play was part of the reason for that, but Halloran showed some nice flashes of ability throughout the forty minutes.

Halloran was the star of the show for Pro Hockey White. He is such an explosive skater which he relied on to push the tempo and control the play. All Jackson needed was a few explosive strides, and he was gone through the neutral zone. Jackson uses a few quick crossovers to get to speed, and once he's there, he can effortlessly move laterally to dodge any obstacle in his path. While under control of the puck, Jackson managed it smartly and was always looking to prioritize possession. He was scanning for lanes and hitting teammates in the dangerous parts of the ice. Halloran scored a beautiful breakaway goal where he stunned the goaltender with a few quick fakes and then tucked it home. My initial read is that he reminds me of recent Saginaw Spirit draftee Carson Harmer, so my hunch is I'll be watching plenty of Jackson over the next year.

Jackson Halloran was one of the players who I felt stood out for York and was able to help contribute on the offensive side of the puck. A pacey player as he entered the zone with the puck, I liked his ability to open up his hips along the wall as he came into the zone to give himself the full range of passing options to explore while also leaving the escape route for himself further down along the boards. He scanned the ice well and did a nice job feathering in some passes into tight spaces as his teammates arrived in space. He was able to create some opportunities with his passing, but was also able to earn some space and generate chances for himself using his skating ability to lose his man.