Taylor Hall

Taylor Hall Bio

Taylor Hall is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing as a left winger for the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was born on November 14, 1991, in Calgary, Alberta, and quickly made a name for himself by winning the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2018 as the league’s most valuable player. Drafted first overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, Hall has established himself as a key player across multiple teams, including the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres, known for his scoring ability and playmaking skills.

Early Life and Background

Hall was born in Calgary, Alberta, as 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, and later a member of the Canadian national bobsleigh team. His mother introduced him to organized hockey at age five, while his father maintained a backyard rink every winter, where Hall and his friends practiced relentlessly. In 2005, his family moved to Kingston, Ontario, where he attended high school at Frontenac Secondary School and later St. Anne’s Catholic High School while playing for the Windsor Spitfires. Hall started playing minor hockey in Calgary and continued in Kingston after his family moved. He captured a Bantam AAA Calgary city championship with the North East Canucks during the 2004–05 season. For the following seasons, Hall played Bantam and Minor Midget hockey for the Greater Kingston Predators of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, where he was named to the ODMHA Midget AAA All-Star team. After the season, Hall was the second overall choice in the 2007 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection by the Windsor Spitfires.

Path to Hockey

Hall made his OHL debut in the 2007–08 season, scoring a team-high 45 goals and adding 39 assists for 84 points, which ranked third in team scoring. He was named OHL Player of the Week twice that season and received the OHL and Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Rookie of the Year awards. In the 2008–09 season, Hall represented the OHL in the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge and scored 38 goals and 52 assists, finishing with 90 points. Windsor had a successful season, capturing the OHL Championship and the Memorial Cup, where Hall was awarded the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the tournament’s most valuable player. Hall finished the 2009–10 season tied for first place in the OHL with Tyler Seguin, winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy alongside him. He was instrumental in the Spitfires’ second consecutive Memorial Cup victory, earning his second Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP. Hall was ranked as the top North American-based prospect by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau in its midterm rankings for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Taylor Hall Career

Early Career (2010–2016)

Shortly after being selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Hall signed his first professional contract, which paid him the entry-level maximum of $900,000 with potential performance bonuses. Hall made his NHL debut on October 7, 2010, as the Oilers defeated the Calgary Flames. His first NHL point came in his second game, and his first NHL goal was scored on October 28 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. In his rookie season, Hall was named to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game and scored his first NHL hat trick against the Atlanta Thrashers on February 19, 2011. He finished his rookie season with 22 goals and 20 assists in 65 games. Hall signed a new seven-year, $42 million contract with the Oilers in August 2012. He recorded his 100th career point on January 26, 2013, and set a franchise record by scoring two goals in eight seconds on October 17, 2013. On June 29, 2016, Hall was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Adam Larsson.

Breakthrough (2017–2019)

In the 2017–18 season, Hall had a career year, finishing with 93 points, leading the Devils to their first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since 2012. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy, becoming the first player in Devils history to win the award. Hall was named an alternate captain for the Devils prior to the 2018–19 season but suffered injuries that limited his play. He was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on December 16, 2019, in exchange for several assets.

Notable Works and Milestones

Hall’s signature work includes his MVP season with the New Jersey Devils, where he led the team in scoring and earned multiple accolades. He has been named to the NHL All-Star Game on five occasions and has set several franchise records during his career.

Taylor Hall Award Nominations

Throughout his career, Taylor Hall has received numerous nominations, including the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award, recognizing his outstanding performance on the ice.