Blackhawks F Hall 'surprised' by unexpected healthy scratch

Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall was made a healthy scratch for Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

The veteran spoke to the media on Monday and said he was caught off guard by his removal from the lineup.

"I was surprised by it. It was unexpected from the standpoint of I just didn’t know I was even close to being in that spot, really," said Hall. "If there were some conversations in the days leading up about my game or if I was constantly being shown video it would be one thing, but I was a bit surprised."

The 33-year-old has recorded two goals and four assists in 17 games this season, his second with the Blackhawks. He had gone without a point in four-consecutive games before being scratched and has not scored a goal since Oct. 22. 

Chicago sits last in the NHL with a 6-11-1 record and 13 points thus far.

Hall was acquired via trade from the Boston Bruins in June 2023, along with Nick Foligno, in exchange for Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula. He played just 10 games last season after undergoing knee surgery on Nov. 23, 2023 that kept him out for the remainder of the season.

The Calgary native is in the final year of a four-year, $24 million contract he signed with the Bruins in 2021. 

The 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner has recorded 268 goals and 703 points in 849 career games with the Blackhawks, Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, and Edmonton Oilers. 

He was selected first overall by the Oilers in the 2010 NHL Draft.