Taylor Hall hoping to provide a boost for the Blackhawks in his return from knee surgery

CHICAGO (AP) — Taylor Hall said he woke up Thursday morning with a smile on his face.

For good reason.

Hall hit the ice with the Chicago Blackhawks for the first practice of training camp after he missed most of last season because of right knee surgery. It was an active offseason for Chicago in free agency, but Hall’s return might be the most important development for the rebuilding franchise.

“I’ve been through a long road of recovery and watched a lot of hockey and watched a lot of practices,” Hall said, “so for me to go out and play and join my teammates, there’s nothing more special for me. I feel like I have a better appreciation for what I do for a living now after being out for so long.”

Chicago acquired Hall and Nick Foligno in a June 2023 trade with Boston. The Blackhawks were about to select Connor Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, and the pair of veteran forwards were brought in to provide more leadership and scoring alongside the young center.

But Hall never got going in his first season with the team.

First, he was sidelined by a left shoulder injury. In his third game after he came back, Hall hurt his right knee when he was hit by Tampa Bay’s Michael Eyssimont on Nov. 9. He tried to play through it, but ended up exacerbating the injury in practice, leading to his season-ending ACL surgery.

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Hall, who turns 33 in November, totaled two goals and two assists in a career-low 10 games. All he could do is watch as Chicago struggled to score on its way to a 23-53-6 record and a last-place finish in the Central Division.

Hall said he is “100% healthy” as training camp ramps up this year.

“I don’t have any limitations in the gym or on the ice,” he said. “It’s more about just getting my brain up to game speed and playing hockey again.”

The only upside to the injuries for Hall was a chance to spend more time with his first child with his wife, Rachel — a son who was born in October.

“I was devastated to know that I was going to miss the whole season, obviously, but it did provide me some more family time,” Hall said, “some time with my son that I would never have had. It was a huge negative overall, but I tried to take some positives from it.”

If Hall can regain his previous form, he could provide a big lift for Chicago as it looks to become a more competitive team. He played alongside Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi during a camp-opening scrimmage. He likely will play on a wing on one of the team’s top two lines this season.

Hall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, has 266 goals and 431 assists in 14 years in the NHL, also playing for Edmonton, New Jersey, Boston, Arizona and Buffalo. He has eight seasons with at least 50 points.

He set career highs with 39 goals and 54 assists for the Devils during the 2017-18 season, winning the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.

“I’m excited. That’s my role,” Hall said of his scoring ability. “That’s what I’ve done for a long time in this league, and I know what I can bring to a team.”

Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson described Hall as “so revved up to play right now.”

“He’s all business right now, just the way we want to conduct ourselves as a team,” Richardson said, “and he’s driving that pace out there. That’s the way he likes to play. I remember him in New Jersey being an MVP of the league, and that’s the way he played.”

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