Pending UFA Taylor Hall wants to be part of Chicago Blackhawks’ build for the long haul

Chicago Blackhawks left winger Taylor Hall

Credit: Sep 28, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall (71) skates against the St. Louis Blues at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

CHICAGO — Taylor Hall was so far removed from the NHL last season rehabbing his knee injury that when he notched his 700th career point on Tuesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks forward was caught off guard.

“I had no idea,” Hall said.

The only milestone Hall had on his mind was getting through the first few weeks of the season healthy and feeling strong. Because last year was a grind.

Three weeks into his tenure with the Hawks, flanking fellow No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard, Hall suffered an ACL tear that required surgery. It deflated Hall and the Hawks, one of a litany of key injuries that eroded their roster. He wanted to make a strong impression, to be someone to take some of the weight off Bedard’s shoulders.

Hall’s journey back to the ice was long, mostly detached from the Blackhawks, his teammates, and at times, even his family. Hall rented an apartment in suburban Philadelphia and spent 10 to 12 days there per month rehabbing with a multi-sport expert on ACL tears on the advice of his personal trainer, Andy O’Brien. Hall credited his wife, Rachel, for her support and encouragement to take an atypical rehab path – something more popular in sports other than hockey.

He was skating again three months after the November surgery and said he felt back to full strength again in May. There was thought that he might attempt to play for Team Canada at the World Championship in Czechia, but decided to take his time.

“I think if we were a playoff team, I would’ve been back at some point,” Hall said. “But I was able to really push things and then take a step back, then push it again, to the point where when I came into training camp, I knew I was really ready to go. That was a good feeling.”

This is a big year, for Hall and for the Blackhawks. Chicago wants to take a meaningful step forward in Year 2 of the Bedard Experience. Now 32, Hall is in a contract year, the final season of a four-year, $24 million deal signed in Boston that ultimately brought him to Chicago as a cap casualty.

There is a different vibe in the United Center this year. The Hawks have surrounded Bedard and Co. with more veteran support up front in Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Ilya Mikheyev, Pat Maroon and Craig Smith. Hall was almost the forgotten addition since he only played 10 games last season.

“We certainly needed some reinforcements,” Hall said. “The guys we brought in are pros and have been in this league for a while. We’ve added a lot of experience.

“I don’t care what you say – in today’s day and age that’s valuable, especially when you’re trying to build a good culture here. We’re trying to bring the young guys up the right way. You need to surround them with not only good pros, but good players. The vibe is better. We’re in every game and we’re still improving.”

For now, Luke Richardson has tasked Hall with driving play on his own line, but the 2018 Hart Trophy winner has been impressed with how Bedard has managed the spotlight and pressure to perform. Hall mentioned a noticeable improvement already this season in Bedard’s defensive awareness and his clear desire to become a more complete player.

“It’s difficult to do everything and be an 18-year-old centerman,” Hall said. “He’s done great with it. We’ve all really enjoyed being around him.

“His work ethic is infectious. Maybe a bit too much – he spends like an hour on the morning of a game skating and shooting. I think maybe he’ll learn that there’s only so much in the gas tank over 82 games. But you don’t fault him for that just because he loves hockey and he wants to get better and wants to do better for the team.”

Admittedly, that growth has Hall thinking about the future, and what his role might be in it for Chicago. He is highly motivated to get back to a higher level and to show that he can be more than just a stopgap player brought in to bridge the years from rebuild to playoff team.

If he has a choice, Hall is saying it now: He wants to be in Chicago. It’s too early to say if the feeling is mutual.

“I’d love to stay and be part of this,” Hall said. “I’ve moved around quite a bit, maybe more than I would’ve liked or planned at the start of my career. But it’s brought me and led me to some amazing people, and I’ve had a lot of great life experiences, and that’s made me grow up a lot. In saying that, I like it here, I like the organization. Most of all, I really like this team and the group of guys we have. I think I can be a good piece for us as we keep growing. If there was interest on their side, I’d definitely love to be around the team and help build this.”

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Pending UFA Taylor Hall wants to be part of Chicago Blackhawks’ build for the long haul

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