New Jersey Devils left wing Taylor Hall opted for a fresh
start as he begins the next chapter of his National Hockey League career in Newark,
New Jersey.
For the six seasons that he played in Edmonton, Hall wore
the number four on the back of his sweater, but after the Edmonton Oilers dealt
him to the Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson on June 29, he knew he would have
to wear a new number. Hall will be changing to number nine as he dons the red
and black.
In New Jersey, the number four is hanging from the rafters,
honoring Hall of Fame defenseman and Devils longtime captain, Scott Stevens. On
the team’s website Hall said, “Obviously,
the number four is retired here. But even if it was not, I am not sure I would
have kept the number four. In choosing number nine, I am looking for a fresh
start.”
Hall, 24, scored 26 goals and 39 assists in 82 games for the
Oilers during the 2015-2016 NHL season. The number pick of the Oilers in the
2010 NHL Entry Draft, has scored 20 or more goals in a season in four out of
his six years in the league. In 381 NHL games, he has put up 132 goals and 196
assists.
Hall added, “There have
been a lot of great players that have worn the number nine and I want to add to
that list. I think in sports you can get too caught up in trying to prove people
wrong or that you deserve something and it ends up taking away from the player
that you are. I am not going to change that in anything in that way. But I am
looking forward to a fresh start and an exciting opportunity in New Jersey.”
Hall mentioned that when his family moved from Calgary,
Alberta to Kingston, Ontario, he had joined a team that had been together for several
years. He had thought about asking for number nine, but since it had already
been assigned to another player, he chose number four.
He said, “I originally
wanted number nine because I just thought it was a cool number. You always saw
a lot of skilled guys wearing it, a lot of guys that score goals and play a
little bit fancier.”
He added, “And if you
look down the line, you will see so many amazing players who have worn number
nine, including within the Devils organization. It was a number that was kind
of flashy. And when you are a young kid playing hockey, that is what you are
going for.”
On choosing the number four he wore with the Oilers, Hall
said, “My mom was a huge Bobby Orr fan
and I just stuck with [number four] through Windsor [of the Ontario Hockey
League] and in Edmonton because it was always available.”
The last 30 goal scorer to wear number nine in New Jersey,
was Zach Parise. Parise scored 30 or more goal in five of the seven seasons he
skated for the Devils.
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