QUOTES July 23, 2021

BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD TAYLOR HALL… Opening statement... Hi everyone. Happy to be here talking to you guys. First off just wanted to thank the Jacobs family for giving me an opportunity to play for Boston this year. It’s a great city, obviously a great group of guys. A tremendous organization that I really enjoy playing for. Cam Neely, Don Sweeney — just in dealing with these guys, the coaching staff — it was really enjoyable for me this year, and I’m really happy that I get to play another four years with the Bruins and the teammates that I got to know in my short time in Boston is a huge reason why I wanted to direct my focus to playing for Boston as long as I can. I’m really happy that we’re here talking about it today. I guess I’ll send it over to you guys.

On what made him decide not to go to the open market… I think there’s always that temptation a little bit, but honestly, I think most of my focus throughout this whole process was directed at playing for the Boston Bruins next year and for years to come. My last go at free agency didn’t really go the way I wanted it to. That’s just my personal experience. After playing in Boston for that period of time, I knew that was where I wanted to play. Fortunately enough, I was able to deal with some good people. My agent was able to make it work, and I’m really happy to be here.

On if there’s concern about who his centerman will be… It wasn’t too concerning for me personally. I would love to play with David [Krejci] for another year or two, but he’s got his own things that he has to deal with. I think we’re comfortable with whoever’s going to be there. There’s a lot of good players on that team. I know the organization has a lot of confidence in guys that are able to step up and play in that role. It wasn’t a concern for me, it was more that I wanted to be a Bruin and whatever we can do to win hockey games, that’s what I wanted to be a part of.

On the direction of the team ... I think there’s a really good mix of both. You can’t just have one, you can’t just have a super old team or you can’t just have a super young team. You have to have a mix of both. Guys that have done it before and guys that have played in the playoffs a long time and know what it takes. But also guys that are young and skilled and have that energy and have that hunger. I think that’s what makes Boston a great fit for me. I think the window is still there, at least for another few years. A group of guys that’s committed to trying to make a come to Boston, and that’s all I want to be a part of. You can’t, in this league, sometimes you get caught up trying to be on the perfect team. I was super happy in Boston; I think we have a great group of guys to accomplish something special.

On how long it took to make the decision to sign with Boston… I knew right away, after playing five or six games in Boston, I wanted to be a part of the group and it was up to me to try to play well and show up well enough to have them want me to be a part of it. The season didn’t end the way we wanted it to — I think, we could have been right there. We could have been in the Finals. We could have been in the conference finals easily, it just didn’t happen, we got beat by a team that had some great parts on their team, they had some great players. But I feel like that series, if we played it over again – I know every team says that, but it could have gone either way. That’s the frustrating part and I kind of left the taste in my mouth that I wanted to come back and do it with the same group. That’s how I feel today, that’s how I feel every day when I’m training for the season. I try to be my best when the time comes and the playoffs, and that’s what I’m looking forward to next year.

On what he’d like his presence and role to be during camp... That’s a good question. I don’t see it being different. I think, I felt really comfortable right off the bat last year and I spoke about it, that’s a credit to the leadership group. The guys that have really laid a foundation – and it’s not just the leadership group, it’s the guys before them. Zdeno Chara and , . These guys, they did a great job showing the way. I really enjoyed being a part of that, and it’s not only that. The younger guys, they have personality, they have hunger, they want to win, they want to have fun. It was a good environment for me to come into and I felt that I was able to be myself right off the bat and I think that’s shown in my on-ice play. Been on four teams in the last two seasons, so I’ve been in a few dressing rooms. You can tell right away when you walk in what the vibe is, and I’ve really enjoyed the vibe of Boston.

On what he’s looking forward to next season... That’s going to be great, a full 82-game schedule and play every team, go to different cities. You’re able to get together as a group of guys off the ice and enjoy ourselves. That was a tough season for many different reasons. It was tough for you guys, it was tough for the coaching staff, trainers, the equipment guys. It was tough for everyone. A return to normalcy is what everyone wants in this world and especially for us hockey players, we have the best job in the world. Some of the best parts of that job is going for dinners on the road and getting to know your teammates in a way that you don’t really get to know at the rink. That’s going to be awesome. Even in saying that there were limitations last year, it started to really — the restrictions were lifted as the year went on, and I was able to go out and see Boston a bit, but it’ll be nice to buy a house and not live in a rental. Being able to move furniture and all that, it’ll be nice. I’ve got a home in and I’ll have a home in Boston soon and that’s really exciting for me and my fiancé.

On what he heard about the locker room prior to playing for Boston... I think the first thing that piqued my interest was in free agency, just talking to Don Sweeney, here was interest there, it just didn’t work out. Boston was on my radar a little bit. Once things started going south in Buffalo a bit, that’s when my agent and I started talking about maybe a potential trade and where I’d want to go. Boston was a team that, I think they were looking for a left winger or someone of my caliber. I would have liked it to be sooner than the trade deadline, but they wanted to wait and make sure they had the cash base and all that, which is understandable. From there, I had a couple teams that were interested in me, and I chose Boston. The biggest reason I chose Boston — I thought there was the best chance to resign after the season. Looking back, that seems like a good bet on my part and I’m really happy to be here talking to you guys. Looking back to the month of April, I had a lot of uncertainty about my future and obviously like you said, the dressing room and the atmosphere in the locker room is pretty well known in the NHL circles and was something that I think I needed and wanted to be a part of.

On if a no trade or no movement clause delayed signing… That wasn’t really what was holding it up. It was just a couple of other things that my agent was going through, but it wasn’t anything like that. Once we settled on a number, there was just a couple things that were in the contract that held it up, but it wasn’t anything to do with no movement or no trade.

On what his draft night was like… Incredible night for me and my family. Los Angeles, June 25th. I had a lot of uncertainty, I could have ended up in Boston. I ended up going number one. If I remember correctly, there was about thirty cameras on Tyler Seguin and about seven on me. I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m going number two.’ Sure enough, I went number one and our careers have kind of gone different ways. He won a Stanley Cup his first year, it took me eight years to make the playoffs. It’s always interesting. Draft night is a great night, I hope the kids enjoy it. It’s actually kind of cool that they get to do it in their homes where they grew up playing and watching hockey and doing all that. But I’m sure they’d love to be in-person. Players that are coming into the Bruins organization, I think, put your head down and work hard and work smart and come into camp and be a pro. I think that’s the best way to get recognized. At the end of the day, these teams draft you for a reason. They draft you because they saw something in you, and that’s really what you have to do, is play to your strengths, play to your abilities. Don’t try to be a player that you’re not. Really enjoy that journey, because junior hockey and those first couple years of pro, any guy will tell you that those can be some of the most enjoyable years when you’re starting your career. I wish all those kids all the best.