Taylor Hall
Hart Trophy winner and 2026 Stanley Cup champion.
Taylor Hall is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on November 14, 1991, in Calgary, Alberta, he was the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, selected by the Edmonton Oilers. Hall spent his first six NHL seasons with the Oilers, then played four years for the New Jersey Devils. After that, his career became more itinerant, with stops at the Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.
Before turning pro, Hall had an outstanding junior career with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He helped the team win back-to-back Memorial Cup championships in 2009 and 2010, and in both years he received the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the tournament’s most valuable player. In the NHL, Hall has been selected to five All-Star Games. During his second season with the Devils, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s MVP, the first player in Devils franchise history to earn that honor. In 2026, Hall won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes, scoring the cup-clinching goal in Game 6.
**Early life** Hall was born in Calgary, the only child of Steve Hall and Kim Strba. His father played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts, and Ottawa Rough Riders in the mid-1980s, and later was a member of Canada’s national bobsleigh team. His mother got him into organized hockey at age five, while his father built a backyard rink each winter where Hall and his friends practiced constantly. In 2005, his family moved to Kingston, Ontario, where he attended Frontenac Secondary School. While playing for the Windsor Spitfires, he also attended St. Anne’s Catholic High School in Tecumseh, Ontario.
**Minor playing career** Hall began playing minor hockey in Calgary. At 13, his family relocated to Kingston, where he continued playing. During the 2004–05 season, he won a Bantam AAA Calgary city championship with the North East Canucks. For the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, he played Bantam and Minor Midget hockey for the Greater Kingston Predators in the ODMHA league and was named to the ODMHA Midget AAA All-Star team. After that season, the Windsor Spitfires selected him second overall in the 2007 OHL Priority Selection.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1991-11-14
- Birth Place
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 1
- Weight Lb
- 210
- Position
- Forward
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- NHL
- Team
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Former Teams
- Edmonton Oilers / New Jersey Devils / Arizona Coyotes / Buffalo Sabres / Boston Bruins / Chicago Blackhawks
- Ntl Team
- CAN
- Draft
- 1st overall
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Taylor Hall played the first six years of his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers, who selected him first overall in the 2010 NHL entry draft. He then spent the next four seasons with the New Jersey Devils, where he won the Hart Memorial Trophy. After his stint in New Jersey, Hall became more of a journeyman, also playing for the Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks before joining the Carolina Hurricanes.
Hall had a highly successful junior career with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), winning two consecutive Memorial Cup championships in 2009 and 2010. He won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player of the Memorial Cup tournament both years, becoming the first player in its history to repeat as a winner. He also won the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as OHL playoff MVP in 2009 and shared the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy with Tyler Seguin in 2010.
Hall was born in Calgary, the only child of Steve Hall and Kim Strba. His father was a former Canadian Football League player and later a member of the Canadian national bobsleigh team. His family moved to Kingston, Ontario, in 2005, where he attended high school. He started playing minor hockey in Calgary and later played for the Greater Kingston Predators before being selected second overall in the 2007 OHL Priority Selection by the Windsor Spitfires.
Reader's Guide
Taylor Hall's significance in NHL history is marked by his Hart Memorial Trophy win with the New Jersey Devils, making him the first player in franchise history to receive that honor. His junior career achievements include two consecutive Memorial Cup championships and two Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophies as tournament MVP, a feat no other player had accomplished. Hall's professional journey includes being the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, playing for multiple teams, and ultimately winning the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2026, where he scored the cup-clinching goal in game six. His career reflects a trajectory from top prospect to league MVP to Stanley Cup champion, with five NHL All-Star Game selections along the way.
Did You Know?
- Hall won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as Memorial Cup MVP in both 2009 and 2010, the first player to repeat as winner.
- He scored the cup-clinching goal for the Carolina Hurricanes in game six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals.
- Hall was the first New Jersey Devils player in franchise history to win the Hart Memorial Trophy.
- He shared the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy with Tyler Seguin in 2010 after tying for the OHL scoring lead with 106 points.
More in NHL Trophy Winners 1-24
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