Monday, July 5, 2010

Oilers sign Hall to entry level contract

Press Release

General Manager Steve Tambellini announced today the Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with left-winger Taylor Hall on a three-year NHL entry level contract.

Hall, who was drafted by the Oilers 1st overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, completed his third season in the Ontario Hockey League, helping the Spitfires capture the Memorial Cup for the second year in a row. He finished tied for first in the OHL with 106 points (40G, 66A) in just 57 games, sharing the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy with Plymouth Whaler’s forward Tyler Seguin. The 18-year-old was also tied for second in points in the Canadian Hockey League with Seguin and fellow Oilers prospect Jordan Eberle of the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats.

The 6’1”, 190lbs forward was dominant in the Spitfire’s Memorial Cup win, capturing the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the tournament’s most valuable player, the first player in its history to win it two years in a row. He also won the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as the leading scorer at the Memorial Cup (5-4-9) and was named to the tournament All-Star Team.

Hall made his OHL debut in 2007–08, scoring a team-high 45 goals and adding 39 assists for 84 points, which was third in team scoring. With his efforts, he was named OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year.

The Calgary, Alberta native continued his success in the 2008–09 OHL season. Hall was selected to represent the OHL in the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge. He scored 38 goals and added 52 assists to finish with 90 points. Windsor had a successful season on the ice, capturing the OHL Championship as well as the Memorial Cup. During the OHL playoffs, Hall scored 16 goals and added 20 assists while being awarded the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as Playoff MVP.

Hall was part of the silver medal-winning Team Canada at the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He was the lone draft-eligible player selected to the roster and finished the tournament third in scoring with 12 points (6G, 6A) in six games, including a hat trick against Slovakia.

The 2010 Oilers Development Camp runs from July 6-9 at Clareview Arena. The camp, which features prospects such as Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, is open to the public with on-ice sessions running from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

No comments: