Jayden Halbgewachs has been able to pick up right where he left off last season for the Moose Jaw Warriors.

After posting 50 goals and 101 points during a breakout 2016-17 campaign, Halbgewachs is currently on pace to top both those totals this season after going on an absolute tear in the first half.

The Emerald Park product has 35 goals and 59 points in the first 35 games of the regular season for the Warriors.

He scored twice in last Saturday’s 7-4 win over Brandon, which allowed him to tie Swift Current’s Tyler Steenbergen for the WHL-scoring lead heading into the Christmas break.

“It’s nice to score goals like that, but it doesn’t come without the success of the team and my linemates helping me out, so obviously I’m pretty proud of that, but you’ve just got to get better and better,” said Halbgewachs.

The 20-year-old winger has been getting better and better as the season has went on.

Halbgewachs scored in five of the Warriors’ first six games, but then scored just once in the next six games.  Since going without a goal for four games from Oct. 17-21, Halbgewachs has scored 29 goals in 23 games.

He’s scored in 19 of his last 23 games, including two goal streaks of six games and one of five games.

The most impressive part of Halbgewachs’ start has been the fact that he’s done it with a revolving door of linemates. He’s been paired with captain Brett Howden, when he’s been healthy, while also seeing time with Tristin Langan at centre.

“Halbgewachs has been a catalyst for us and when he’s going, he’s tough to stop,” said Warriors assistant coach Scott King.

Halbgewachs and new linemate Ryan Peckford celebrate a goal during the Warriors' win over Kelowna last Tuesday. (Photo: Marc Smith)

With Halbgewachs doing what he’s done on one line and fellow 20-year-old Brayden Burke leading the team in scoring with 65 points on another line, it gives the Warriors a 1-2 punch unlike any other in the league.

More important than the individual success he’s been enjoying, Halbgewachs said that the fact that the Warriors enter the break as the WHL’s top team is huge.

“At the end of the day, we’re bearing down when we need to and even the games that we lost, we could have easily won those ones,” said Halbgewachs. “We’re pretty happy with the way that we’ve started the season, but a lot of room to get better coming into the new year.”

The Warriors will return from the Christmas break next Wednesday when they face the Swift Current Broncos at the Credit Union Iplex. They host the Broncos on the next night at Mosaic Place to close out a big home-and-home to start the second half.

Halbgewachs said it’s important for the team to rest up over the nine-day break and hit the ground running in those two games.

“Lots of guys are banged up, so the proper rest is key for us and to come back in the second half and have a healthy team is going to be huge,” he said.