Hall soaring at the MasterCard Memorial Cup
By Aaron Bell
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It’s hard to image that the hype around Taylor Hall could get any bigger.
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The Windsor Spitfires’ star forward is one of the top eligible players for the upcoming NHL draft, already has OHL playoff and Memorial Cup MVP trophies and finished in a tie for the OHL scoring title with Tyler Seguin of the Plymouth Whalers.
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Despite those already impressive credentials, it’s possible that Hall has saved his best performance for last.
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Hall is leading the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament in scoring with four goals and six points in three games and has been a dominant force on practically every shift he’s taken.
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Every team the Spitfires have played in the tournament has tried to knock Hall of his game physically but the 18-year-old from Kingston seems to be able to shake it off and continue to play a dominant game.
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In the tournament opener against the host Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday, Hall crashed awkwardly into the boards in a scary play that easily could have caused a serious injury. But he shook off the effects and scored two goals to help the Spitfires to a 9-3 romp over the home team.
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Hall emerged from the game with cuts on his forehead and a welt on his cheek but seemed to shrug off the impact of the hit.
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“It was pretty tough but I think it kind of woke me up a little bit,” Hall said. “Fortunately enough I’m very flexible and I was able to bounce back and keep going. Once I realized that the pain was going to go away I knew I could still play.”
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Hall is rated second behind Seguin among prospects for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft next month in Los Angeles. The Edmonton Oilers have the first overall pick and their President Kevin Lowe is one of several team representatives that have taken in Hall’s performance at the tournament.
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“The thing about Taylor is that as good as he is, he keeps getting better all the time,” said Spitfires’ GM Warren Rychel. “He just wants to be on the ice. He wants to be that player that has the puck in a crucial time. He wants to be the first pick. He wants to make a difference and be the best NHL player he can. You can’t teach that heart and want and when you combine that with his skill, he’s an unbelievable combination.”
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The media requests and time demands for Hall at the Memorial Cup are high but Rychel said that Hall manages the extra attention in a positive way.
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“He handles it pretty well,” Rychel said. “He’s been in the spotlight. I think it helped Taylor to go to the Memorial Cup last year also. He’s everything (you see) and he’s going to be fine for sure.”
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Photo: Aaron Bell/CHL Images
