Taylor Hall becomes first player to get selected first overall, win Hart and Stanley Cup for three different teams
One of the league’s most well-known veterans finally reached the pinnacle of his sport, even though the path to get there was winding.
On Sunday night, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to clinch the franchise’s second championship, and first in 20 years. It not only marked a momentous night for the Hurricanes, but also for Taylor Hall, who finally earned the right to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup.
After being drafted first overall in 2010, Taylor Hall is now a Stanley Cup Champion. 📹: Sportsnet
With that, Hall set himself apart from the rest in a very unique way. He became the first player to be taken first overall in the NHL Draft, win the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player and win the Stanley Cup, achieving each with different teams.
Hall’s NHL journey has been well-documented and is one of patience and perseverance. He entered the league in 2010, when he was the No. 1 pick of the 2010 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, who were in the midst of a near-decade-long rebuild. While he was arguably the team’s best player, he wasn’t able to garner any team success, failing to reach the playoffs in his six seasons with the club. The Calgary native was famously traded to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson, one-for-one, in 2016. In 2017-18, Hall was outstanding, setting career highs in goals (39), assists (54) and points (93), beating out former Oilers teammate Connor McDavid for the Hart.
After another season and change with the Devils, Hall’s odyssey began. He was traded to the Arizona Coyotes before the trade deadline in 2019-20, signing with the Buffalo Sabres the following offseason. He was then dealt to the Boston Bruins during the 2021 campaign, and after three full seasons with the B’s, he was on the move again, this time being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Hall landed in Raleigh in January 2025, as he was part of the deal that sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina in a three-team deal with the Colorado Avalanche.
While Hall has been a solid scorer during the regular season, he stepped up in these playoffs. His seventh goal of the postseason was the Stanley Cup-winner on Sunday night, with him finishing second on the team in scoring behind Jackson Blake with 19 points, good for fourth among all skaters in the playoffs.