Hall excited to join ascendant Coyotes: 'There seems to be a buzz building'
Arizona Coyotes forward Taylor Hall is embracing his warm welcome to the desert.
Hall, traded to Arizona by the New Jersey Devils on Monday, appreciated the city of Glendale's enthusiasm when told about billboards already in place to herald his arrival.
Arrived in Arizona. On the highway to Glendale, spotted a billboard with a picture of Taylor Hall in a Coyotes uniform and the words "WELCOME TO OUR PACK."
— Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) December 18, 2019
"That's awesome," Hall said, according to NHL.com's Alex Kinkopf. "That's one of the great things about what's going on here is that there seems to be a buzz building."
The Coyotes haven't made the playoffs since 2012, but the team sits atop the Pacific Division entering Wednesday's action and appears all-in on cementing its status as a contender.
"It's everything that I could've wanted with a midseason trade, to be honest," Hall said.
The 28-year-old has made the postseason just once in nine NHL campaigns, and he admitted Arizona's current position makes it an optimal fit.
"Not every day can you jump that many spots in the standings," he said. "I'm joining a group that's playing well, and I don't want to speak for anyone else, but hopefully, there's another level that we can get to while holding the top spot that we have in the standings."
Hall assisted on the winning goal in his Coyotes debut Tuesday, helping his new club capture its 20th victory of the season.