Taylor Hall breaks his silence on being benched

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Finnegan Frost
November 18, 2024 (8:51 PM)

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Drama around Chicago Blackhawks season continues to intensify as Taylor Hall opened up about head coach Luke Richardson's questionable decision to have him benched.

In a last minute decision, Chicago Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson decided tp oll the rug from under Taylor Hall's feet, healthy scratching the former NHL MVP.

In a recent interview, Taylor Hall broke his silence regarding being benched, highlting his feeling toward Richardson's decision.

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

Being a former Hart Trophy winner unfortunately comes with large expectations. So far, Hall has managed just 2 goals and 4 assiss and is a -5 rating through 17 regular season game -- not good for a top 6 forward.

After Luke Richardson made his decision public, he admits that he could have handled the situation better.

"That could be part of my problem, too. Sometimes you give veterans a little bit more of a grace period," he said in a post-practice interview posted by CHGO Sports. "For me to communicate with him, I need to get to know the player more, to see how they like to handle that. We talked lots during and after, but maybe it needs to be more before [the scratch]."

Although Luke Richardson failed to provide a timeline for Hall's return, I would assume a maximum of 2 games should send the message loud and clear.