Hall was born in Calgary, the only child of Steve Hall and Kim Strba. His father was a former Canadian Football League (CFL) player for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Rough Riders in the mid-1980s, after which he was a member of the Canadian national bobsleigh team.[2] His mother introduced him to organized hockey at age five while his father maintained a backyard rink every winter which Hall and his friends practiced on relentlessly.[3] His family moved to Kingston, Ontario, in 2005, where he attended high school at Frontenac Secondary School[4] and later attended St. Anne's Catholic High School in Tecumseh, Ontario while with the Windsor Spitfires.[5]
Playing career
Minor
Hall started playing minor hockey in Calgary, Alberta.[6] When he was 13, his family moved to Kingston, Ontario, where he continued to play.[7] Hall captured a Bantam AAA Calgary city championship with the North East Canucks during the 2004–05 season.[6] For the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, Hall played Bantam and Minor Midget hockey for the Greater Kingston Predators of the ODMHA league. He was named to the ODMHA Midget AAA All-Star team.[6] After the season, Hall was the second overall choice in the 2007 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection by the Windsor Spitfires.[6][8]
Junior
Hall made his OHL debut in 2007–08, scoring a team-high 45 goals and adding 39 assists for 84 points,[9] which was third in team scoring. In March, he was named OHL Player of the Week twice (March 3 and March 10). He was named OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year after the season.[6]
During the 2008–09 season, Hall was selected to represent the OHL in the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge.[6] He scored 38 goals and added 52 assists to finish with 90 points. Windsor had a successful season on the ice, capturing the OHL Championship as well as the Memorial Cup. During the OHL playoffs, Hall scored 16 goals and added 20 assists[9] while being awarded the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as Playoff MVP.[6] He scored the game-winningovertime goal in the fifth and deciding game of the OHL Finals against the Brampton Battalion to clinch the title.[10] At the 2009 Memorial Cup, Hall recorded eight points in six games as the Spitfires defeated the Kelowna Rockets 4–1 in the final.[11] After the tournament, Hall was awarded the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the tournament's most valuable player and was named to the tournament all-star team alongside teammate Ryan Ellis.[6][11]
Though the odds of him playing in Russia were remote, Hall was drafted 89th overall by the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)'s Ak Bars Kazan on June 1, 2009. He was one of three Canadian junior players (all from the OHL) taken in the 2009 KHL Draft, which begins selecting players one year younger than the NHL does.[12] Hall was an early favourite to be the top pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft since entering the junior ranks. He was praised early in his junior career on Hockey Night in Canada by commentator Don Cherry during his "Coach's Corner" segment.[13] Hall was also featured in a July 2008 issue of Sports Illustrated, profiling young athletes poised to star in their sports.[14]
In May 2010, Hall helped lead the Spitfires to their second-straight Memorial Cup. With the victory, Hall was awarded his second-straight Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP (the first player in its history to repeat as a winner), the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as Memorial Cup scoring leader and a spot on the tournament all-star team for the second-straight year.[18]
Hall was ranked as the top North American-based prospect by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau (CSB) in its 2009–10 midterm rankings.[19] In the CSB's final rankings, he was overtaken by Tyler Seguin as the top-ranked North American-based prospect.[20] Hall has cited Toronto Maple Leafs forward and 2009 NHL Entry Draft first overall pick John Tavares as a role model, both on and off the ice.[21]
Professional
Edmonton Oilers (2010–2016)
Shortly after being selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Hall signed his first professional contract. The contract paid Hall the entry level maximum of $900,000 with the potential of an additional $2.85million in performance bonuses.[22] This was the second-most lucrative rookie contract in Oilers history.[23]
Hall was given permission to wear the jersey number 4, which had belonged to former Oilers' player Kevin Lowe, who was then serving as the Oilers' president of hockey operations and who had been the only Oiler to wear the number 4 in its NHL history, despite the fact that Lowe's number 4 was not retired by the Oilers.[24][25]
Hall made his NHL debut on October 7, 2010, as the Oilers defeated their Battle of Alberta rivals, the Calgary Flames, at Rexall Place. Hall's first NHL point, an assist, came in his second game, against the Florida Panthers on October 10; Shawn Horcoff redirected Hall's shot in front of the net. Hall's first NHL goal came on October 28 against Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets; Hall's former head coach with the Windsor Spitfires, Bob Boughner, was an assistant coach with Columbus at the time.
Hall scored his first career NHL hat-trick (and natural hat-trick) against the Atlanta Thrashers on February 19, 2011: with the Oilers behind by two goals, Hall scored three consecutive power play goals in a span of 12:53 as the Oilers eventually won the game 5–3.[28][29]
On March 3, 2011, in a 4–2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Hall recorded his first career Gordie Howe hat-trick: Hall scored a goal against Steve Mason, assisted a goal scored by Jordan Eberle and fought Derek Dorsett. However, the fight with Dorsett ended Hall's rookie season early as he suffered a high ankle sprain at the end of the fight.[30] Hall finished his rookie season scoring 22 goals and 20 assists in 65 games.
Hall warming-up with the Oilers prior to a game in the 2011–12 season. Hall signed a new seven-year contract with the Oilers following that season.
On January 17, 2012, Hall was cut by teammate Corey Potter's skate before a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets during warmup, resulting in a deep cut to his face that required 30 stitches to close.[31][32]
It was announced that Hall would need major shoulder surgery and would need five-to-six months to recover, ending his successful sophomore year.[33] Despite missing 21 games, Hall was still tied for fifth for power play goals.
On August 21, 2012, Hall signed a new seven-year, $42million contract with the Oilers worth an annual average value of $6million.[34]
On January 26, 2013, Hall recorded his 100th career point with two assists in a 4–3 loss against the Calgary Flames. On February 22, 2013, he was given a two-game suspension by the NHL after a collision with Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck.[35] On March 30, 2013, in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, Hall set a new franchise record by scoring a hat-trick just 7:53 into the game.[36] Hall finished the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season ninth in NHL regular season scoring, also recording a career-high of 34 assists, sufficient for eighth in the NHL.
On October 17, 2013, Hall broke Wayne Gretzky's previous Oilers franchise record of two goals in nine seconds by scoring two in eight.[37] On December 5, 2013, in a 9–2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Hall recorded his second career NHL hat-trick,[38] having previously gone nine games without a goal.
On June 29, 2016, Hall was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Adam Larsson.[1] Hall chose to wear number 9 with the Devils as his usual number 4 had been retired by the team in honor of Scott Stevens. Hall scored his first goal as a Devil on October 18, 2016, against the Anaheim Ducks. He later scored another goal in the same period to secure a 2–1 win.[40] On November 16, Hall underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee. He was expected to miss three-to-four weeks, but skated on his own a week after surgery and with the team at practice on November 28.[41][42] Hall was named to the Metropolitan Division team as the lone representative of the Devils at the 2017 NHL All-Star Game.[43]
Hall in October 2018, following an exhibition match between the New Jersey Devils and the SC Bern
Hall was again named to the NHL All-Star Game in the 2017–18 season.[44] However, due to a hand injury, he was replaced by teammate Brian Boyle.[45] On February 15, 2018, in a win over the Carolina Hurricanes, Hall set a Devils franchise record with a 16-game point streak.[46] His point streak came to an end at 26 games on March 8 in a 3–2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets;[47] Hall recorded two shots on goal in the game.[47] His 26-game point streak was the longest in the NHL since Patrick Kane's 26-point streak in the 2015–16 season.[48] Hall finished the regular season as the Devils' top scorer with a career-high 93 points (39 goals and 54 assists) as he led the Devils to their first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since 2012.[49] It was also the first time Hall ever played in the playoffs.[49] Hall again led the Devils in the playoffs as their top scorer with six points (two goals and four assists) as the team was eliminated in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, four games to one. On April 26, Hall was nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL's most outstanding player.[50] The following day, on April 27, Hall was also declared a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player.[51] Hall won the latter, becoming the first player in Devils history to win the trophy.[52]
Hall was named an alternate captain for the Devils prior to the 2018–19 season. On December 13, 2018, he suffered an injury during practice which forced him to miss two games.[53] After returning to the lineup, Hall recorded his 200th NHL goal in a 2–1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 20.[54] However, he re-aggravated the injury on December 23[53] and was placed on injured reserve by the Devils on January 1, 2019. At the time, he had recorded 37 points in 33 games.[55] Despite these injuries, Hall was selected for his fourth consecutive All-Star Game,[53] but was later replaced by teammate Kyle Palmieri as he had not yet recovered.[56] In February, Hall underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and entered rehabilitation.[57]
After not playing for the rest of the 2018–19 season, Hall suited up the Devils pre-season games. In his first game back since December, Hall recorded a goal and an assist in a 4–2 win over the New York Rangers during the pre-season.[58]
Arizona Coyotes (2019–2020)
In the final year of his contract and with the Devils standing outside the playoff picture, speculation arose that Hall was likely to be traded. On December 13, 2019, it was announced that Hall would be scratched for that day's game against the Colorado Avalanche for "precautionary reasons".[59] Hall would again be scratched the following night against the Coyotes.
On October 7, 2020, Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong announced that the Coyotes would not be re-signing Taylor Hall, marking the first time in Hall's career that he would be an unrestricted free agent.[61]
Buffalo Sabres (2020–2021)
On October 11, 2020, Hall agreed to join the Buffalo Sabres, signing a one-year, $8-million contract.[62][63] In the pandemic delayed 2020–21 season, Hall struggled to show his offensive acumen, collecting just 2 goals and 19 points through 37 regular season games for the Sabres.
Boston Bruins (2021–2023)
With the Sabres out of playoff contention and on the eve of the trade deadline, Hall, with his salary retained by 50%, was traded by the Sabres along with Curtis Lazar to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Anders Bjork and a 2021 second-round draft pick on April 11, 2021.[64] Hall scored his first goal with the Bruins on April 15, 2021. Hall chose to wear number 71 with the Bruins as his usual number 4 had been retired by the team in honor of Bobby Orr. Hall's presence as the new left-wing forward on David Krejčí's line provided an immediate boost to the Bruins' offense as the season wound down,[65] with a total of 8 goals and 6 assists over the concluding 16 games of the 2020–21 season that he played in for the Bruins.[66] On May 17, 2021, Hall recorded the tying goal against the Capitals to send the Bruins to overtime in Game 2 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
On July 23, 2021, Hall opted to forgo free agency by agreeing to a four-year, $24 million contract extension with the Bruins.[67]
Hall had a successful first full year with the Bruins, scoring 20 goals and 41 assists, totaling 61 points, his highest since his MVP season with New Jersey. He also played in 81 total games, once again the most since his MVP season, and his most since his final season in Edmonton. Once again, Hall provided a boost for his linemates, this time Erik Haula and David Pastrňák. The Bruins made the playoffs in the first wild card spot, playing the Carolina Hurricanes, whom they fell to in seven games. In the series, Hall scored two goals and two assists, totaling four points.
In the 2022–23 season, Hall was relegated to a third-line role with the Bruins, which he accepted without complaint. [68] Hall suffered a lower body injury against the Vancouver Canucks on February 25, 2023, and was placed on LTIR just a few days later.[69] Hall was later reactivated and returned to action for the Bruins after 20 games.[70] Hall scored 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 61 total games, as the Bruins had a historic season, breaking the NHL record for most wins and points in a regular season. However, the season would end in disappointment when Hall and the Bruins fell to the Florida Panthers in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite the disappointment, Hall was seen as one of the Bruins top playoff performers, scoring 5 goals and 3 assists for 8 points in the seven game series, which was second on the Bruins.
Chicago Blackhawks (2023–present)
On June 26, 2023, due to salary cap implications, Hall was traded by the Bruins along with Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks, in exchange for Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula.[71] On November 9, Hall injured his right knee after a collision with Mikey Eyssimont of the Tampa Bay Lightning.[72] He returned on November 18, playing in back-to-back games against the Nashville Predators and Buffalo Sabres, but then missed the November 22 game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.[73] On November 23, it was announced that Hall would miss the remaining season due to knee injury, which would require a surgery.[74][75]
Hall was invited to Hockey Canada's summer evaluation camp for the 2011 World Junior Tournament, but declined to participate, choosing instead to focus on making the Edmonton Oilers' roster for the upcoming NHL season. According to Hockey Canada policy, Hall would have been ineligible to participate in the tournament even if he was available.[78]
At the 2015 World Championships, where the senior Canadian team won the gold medal for the first time since 2007 with a perfect 10–0 record, Hall was named a member of the tournament all-star team.[79]
Hall played at the 2016 World Championships, where Canada successfully defended their gold medal.
Joseph Eric Thornton is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall by the Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play seven seasons with the club, three as its captain. During the 2005–06 season, he was traded to the Sharks. Splitting the campaign between the two teams, he received the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's leading point-scorer and most valuable player, respectively, becoming the only player in NHL history to win either award in a season played for multiple teams. Thornton went on to play another 14 seasons with the Sharks, including four seasons as team captain and a run to the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals.
Paul Patrick Coffey is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for nine teams over 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in goals, assists, and points, behind only Ray Bourque. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman three times and was voted to eight end-of-season All-Star teams. He holds the record for the most goals by a defenceman in one season, 48 in 1985–86, and is the only defenceman to have scored 40 goals more than once, also doing it in 1983–84. He is also one of only two defencemen to score 100 points in a season more than one time, as he did it five times; Bobby Orr did it six times. Coffey holds or shares 33 NHL records in the regular season and playoffs.
Robert Douglas Boughner, nicknamed "The Boogieman", is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is currently an associate coach for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). As head coach of the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League, Boughner won two Memorial Cup Canadian major junior national championships, in 2009 and 2010 and won the CHL's Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award twice, in 2008 and 2009.
The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975–76 season. An unrelated Windsor Spitfires team, founded in 1946, moved to become the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953, and later became the Erie Otters in 1996.
Adam Scott Graves is a Canadian former professional hockey player. He played 10 seasons with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks in a career that spanned from 1987 to 2003. He finished his career with 329 goals, 287 assists and 1,224 penalty minutes. He is currently a New York Rangers special assistant with Prospect Development and Community Relations. Graves was born in Tecumseh and grew up in Toronto.
Steve Staios is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who currently serves as the president of hockey operations and general manager for the Ottawa Senators. Staios played right defence in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, Atlanta Thrashers, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and New York Islanders during his career.
Derek Leonard Roy is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators and the Edmonton Oilers. He was originally drafted in the second round, 32nd overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
James Duncan Wiemer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1983 and 1993.
Robert Brian Ftorek is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was enshrined as member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.
Denis Joseph Smith is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and current assistant coach of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously served as head coach of the Ottawa Senators for five seasons between 2019-2023. As a player, Smith played 45 NHL games with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche. As a coach, Smith won the Memorial Cup in 2015 and spent four years as an assistant with the Maple Leafs before joining Ottawa.
The 2008–09 OHL season was the 29th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams played 68 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on September 17, 2008 and concluded on March 15, 2009. The OHL inaugurated the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy following his death in the previous season. The Windsor Spitfires played their last game at Windsor Arena on December 4, defeating the Guelph Storm, 2–1. The Spitfires played their first game at the WFCU Centre on December 11 against the Belleville Bulls, losing the game 4–0. The playoffs began on March 18, 2009, and ended on May 8, 2009 with the Windsor Spitfires winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup, and a berth in the 2009 Memorial Cup which was held in Rimouski, Quebec. Windsor went on to win the Memorial Cup.
Ryan James Ellis is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently under contract for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ellis was drafted eleventh overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and played with them for nine seasons.
Zack Adam Kassian is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for HC Sparta Praha in the Czech Extraliga. During his junior career, he won a Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires in 2010. Selected 13th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he began his career within the Buffalo Sabres organization before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 2012. He played parts of four seasons with the Canucks before they traded him to the Montreal Canadiens in 2015. Kassian never played for the Canadiens, however, as he was suspended for substance abuse issues, and was traded to the Edmonton Oilers several months later. After seven seasons in Edmonton, Kassian was traded to the Arizona Coyotes, spending one season there before retiring during the 2023–24 NHL season.
Nazem Kadri is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs seventh overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He played his junior career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), first with the Kitchener Rangers and then the London Knights. He won the J. Ross Robertson Cup with Kitchener and was part of the Rangers team that lost to the Spokane Chiefs in the final of the 2008 Memorial Cup. Kadri has also represented Canada internationally at the 2010 World Junior Championships, where the team received the silver medal after losing the final to the United States 6–5.
The 2009–10 OHL season was the 30th season of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Twenty teams played 68 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on September 17, 2009 and ended on March 14, 2010. On September 9, 2009, all 20 teams in the OHL unveiled their new Reebok Edge jerseys, which have been used in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 2007 until 2017. The playoffs began on March 18, 2010, and ended on May 4, 2010, with the Windsor Spitfires winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the second consecutive year, which they followed up by winning the 2010 Memorial Cup, hosted by the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL in Brandon, Manitoba.
Patrick Maroon is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed the "Big Rig", Maroon has previously played for the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Minnesota Wild. Maroon is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning in three consecutive seasons.
Tyler Paul Seguin is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Adam Henrique is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 82nd overall at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. Henrique previously played for the Devils and Anaheim Ducks. He played his Major Junior hockey for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he was a member of the team that won back-to-back Memorial Cups in 2009 and 2010.
Connor Andrew McDavid is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Oilers selected him first overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. McDavid currently wears #97 for the Edmonton Oilers.
Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sergachev is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected ninth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Sergachev won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
↑ "Foligno, Atkinson lift Blue Jackets over Devils". TSN.ca. December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018. Taylor Hall scored for New Jersey, his 200th career NHL goal. The Devils have lost two straight and five of the last six (1-3-2).
↑ Russo, Eric (May 13, 2021). "For Bruins, Hall's Impact Has Been Immediate". nhl.com/bruins. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 15, 2021. Hall's dynamic blend of speed, skill, and power has given Krejci a high-end scoring threat to distribute the puck to, while helping to jumpstart Boston's offensive game, particularly at even strength.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Canada 
