Taylor Hall

Did You Know?

• During his early NHL career, Hall was roommates with Edmonton Oilers teammate Jordan Eberle.
• Hall married Rachel Rush at Graydon Hall Manor in July 2022; they have two sons, Stetson and Chance.

Early life

Hall was born in Calgary, the only child of Steve Hall and Kim Strba. His father played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Rough Riders in the mid-1980s and later was a member of the Canadian national bobsleigh team. His mother introduced him to organized hockey at age five, and his father maintained a backyard rink every winter. The family moved to Kingston, Ontario, in 2005, where Hall attended Frontenac Secondary School and later St. Anne's Catholic High School in Tecumseh, Ontario, while playing for the Windsor Spitfires.

Junior playing career

Hall made his OHL debut in 2007–08, scoring a team-high 45 goals and 39 assists for 84 points. He was named OHL Player of the Week twice in March and was named OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year. In 2008–09, he scored 38 goals and 52 assists for 90 points, and Windsor won the OHL Championship and the Memorial Cup. Hall received the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as playoff MVP after scoring 16 goals and 20 assists in the OHL playoffs, including the overtime winner in the deciding game of the OHL Finals.

At the 2009 Memorial Cup, he recorded eight points in six games and was awarded the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP. He was drafted 89th overall in the 2009 KHL Junior Draft by Ak Bars Kazan. In 2009–10, Hall tied for first in the OHL with Tyler Seguin with 106 points, winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy. He led the playoffs with 35 points in 19 games as Windsor won the J. Ross Robertson Cup.

At the 2010 Memorial Cup, Hall helped the Spitfires to a second straight title, earning his second consecutive Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy and the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as scoring leader.

Professional playing career

Hall signed his first professional contract shortly after being selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL entry draft. The contract paid the entry level maximum of $900,000 with potential performance bonuses of $2.85 million. He was permitted to wear jersey number 4, previously worn by Kevin Lowe. Hall made his NHL debut on October 7, 2010, against the Calgary Flames.

His first NHL point, an assist, came on October 10 against the Florida Panthers, and his first goal on October 28 against Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was named to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game as a rookie and finished second in the fastest skater competition. On February 19, 2011, he scored a natural hat trick against the Atlanta Thrashers. On March 3, 2011, he recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick against the Columbus Blue Jackets but suffered a high ankle sprain in the fight, ending his rookie season with 22 goals and 20 assists in 65 games.

On January 17, 2012, Hall was cut by a teammate's skate during warmup, requiring 30 stitches. He later underwent major shoulder surgery, ending his sophomore year early despite missing 21 games.

International play

Hall represented Canada at the 2008 World U18 Championships as one of five 16-year-olds, finishing fifth in tournament scoring with nine points in seven games and winning a gold medal. He earned a second gold medal at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament as an alternate captain. At the 2010 World Junior Championships, Hall was the only 2010 NHL draft-eligible player on the roster; he scored a hat trick against Slovakia and finished tied for third in tournament scoring with six goals and six assists in six games.

He declined an invitation to the 2011 World Junior Championships summer evaluation camp to focus on making the Oilers' roster. Hall played for the Canadian senior team at the 2015 World Championship, where Canada won gold with a perfect 10–0 record, and he was named to the tournament all-star team. He also played at the 2016 World Championship, where Canada successfully defended their gold medal.