Schwartz: Taylor Hall Fitting Right In With Devils

By Peter Schwartz
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Sometimes a hockey player wants to get his mind off of the sport. That's easier to do in some cities than others.

During his first five NHL seasons, it was hard for Taylor Hall to walk the streets of Edmonton without anyone noticing him. That part of life certainly comes with the territory of living and playing in a hockey-crazed city up in Canada. But on June 29, life changed for the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft.

That's the day the Oilers traded Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson. It was a bit of a shock to be traded from the only team he had played for in his NHL career, but so far the transition has been pretty good for the talented left winger.

"It's been fun," Hall told WFAN.com in a phone interview. "It's been a good change for me. I don't think it's been as big of a change of scenery as I thought it would be."

The biggest change has been the anonymity that comes with being a hockey player in the New York/New Jersey area. Not that Hall minds the fame and fortune or the occasional fan who comes up to say hi or ask for an autograph. But there's a lot less of that playing for the Devils than he experienced with the Oilers.

And that's been a good thing in helping him get accustomed to his new home.

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"I've really enjoyed that part of it," Hall said. "One of the best things about playing hockey in Edmonton was how passionate they were about hockey and how they are as fans. That's not to say that (Devils) fans aren't passionate because they are, but it's just nicer to get away from the rink and go unnoticed a bit. It's been a nice change."

And so far, it's been a good change for both parties.

Through 11 games, Hall is tied for second on the Devils in scoring with 10 points and ranks first on the club with five goals. So far, Hall has performed very well on home ice with all five goals coming at the Prudential Center, where the Devils host Carolina on Tuesday night in the back end of a home-and-home.

While he's off to a good start, Hall feels that the best is yet to come.

"I don't think I'm totally quite there with how I want to play, but as a team we're doing pretty well, and it's really nice to be on a team that's having some success," he said.

When a player gets traded, one of the biggest adjustments, aside from getting over the shock value of being dealt, is learning your new team's system. The Devils, under second-year coach John Hynes, play a very structured system that can be difficult to get used to. But the Devils' new superstar looks at it as a positive, not a negative.

"I think that's a really good thing in the long run," said Hall, a native of Calgary. "It's going to help us a lot. They've made it super easy whether it's with video, on the ice or with linemates and that kind of stuff. They realized that it's a big change for me."

Hall has adapted well to the Devils' system, and his presence has helped New Jersey come out of the gates strong with a good start to the season.

After Sunday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes in Carolina, the Devils have a record of 5-3-3 for 13 points and are tied with the Flyers for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. The Devils gave up a talented player to get Hall, but so far it's a trade that has worked out nicely.

It's only been 11 games, but Hall is enjoying his new team.

"We've played a lot of hard teams, and there haven't been any easy games at all," Hall said. "We're going to be a scrappy team right till the final game of the regular season, and I think we enjoy that. So far, it's been going well."

It's a small sample size, but getting traded to the Devils has turned out to be a positive experience for Hall. He's residing in New Jersey, but he actually lives closer to New York City than he does to the Prudential Center and the adjoining practice facility. That location has afforded him the opportunity to experience not only the Garden State, but also the Big Apple.

Being just a slap shot away from Manhattan, Hall is loving life as a Devil and can also entertain his family and friends from Kingston, Ontario, should they decide to make the six-hour drive to see him.

"I've certainly been able to enjoy what New York City has to offer," Hall said. "There's a lot of stuff to do. Edmonton is a great city as well, but it's just a bit different in New York."

Perhaps the biggest surprise for Hall since coming over to the Devils has been the atmosphere for home games at "The Rock." He probably didn't pay much attention to it when he came in as a visitor with the Oilers, but Hall appreciates just how passionate Devils fans are.

It's also something that he really didn't expect.

"Every night when we play, it's been a great atmosphere," Hall said. "Right off the bat, they've not only made me feel welcome, but they get us going."

Already with 392 NHL games and 137 goals under his belt, the 24-year-old Hall is one of the brightest young stars in the game. The casual sports fan in the New York/New Jersey area might not realize it, but so far Devils fans have to be ecstatic that the franchise was able to acquire a player of his caliber.

It may not be long before Hall's No. 9 jersey is one of the most popular worn by Devils fans at The Rock."

Don't forget to follow Pete on Twitter at @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow Taylor Hall @hallsy09 and @NJDevils.