Interview With NHL Prospect Taylor Hall ft. Melissa Hashemian

Andrew: You definitely have a bright future ahead. What inspired you to start playing hockey?

Taylor Hall: I'm not sure. My mom put me on skates when I was three and I've played ever since, now it's just an everyday thing, I don't even think about it, I'm lucky to play the game everyday and come to the rink with a smile on my face. It's not a job for me at all, it's just something I love doing.

Andrew: Okay, that's cool.

Mel: Taylor, there's been a lot of attention headed your way. Don Cherry was praising you on Coach's corner, and you've been receiving a lot of recognition from a lot of outside observer, and actually I read that last year in 2008 they actually profiled you on Sports Illustrated on page features on young athletes to keep an eye one. So my question is; you're only seventeen, how are you taking it in, or have you taken it in? Is it still becoming a reality for you?

Taylor Hall: It's just attention, I don't take it too seriously, and if I want to be a good player as I want to be, there's going to be attention along the way and it's something I'm going to have to deal with. it's an everyday thing right now and I'm just trying to be level-headed.

Mel: Well, that's good. A lot of different people tend to take it very differently and get cocky. You seem to have a very good head on your shoulder. It's not good to get wrapped up in the media sense of it, just like if you were an actor in Hollywood, but you're pretty young, so you should be gaining some kind of confidence from it.

Taylor Hall: Yeah, I get confidence but it's not really in my head, it's mostly for my family and friends to see how I'm doing, but I don't take it too seriously.

Mel: Yeah, your family must be pretty proud of you.

Taylor Hall: Yeah, for sure. They keep all the clippings and stuff like that. I think my family enjoys it more than I do.

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