Hall: 'Just trying to say getting booed sucks' with remark about Devils fans

Taylor Hall says his comments about New Jersey Devils supporters weren't intended to be malicious.

"The media can make whatever they want out of it," the star forward told the assembled media, including TSN, on Tuesday before the Devils' game against the Winnipeg Jets.

"(I) was just trying to say that getting booed sucks," he continued. "Any time you're playing on home ice, you always want to play well in front of your fans, and that was basically about it."

Following an overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last Wednesday, Hall said, "We're kind of battling our own fans right now. We were 1-for-3 on the power play and we are getting booed. It's a tie game, we are getting booed."

The 27-year-old added that he doesn't want to let being booed affect him, but admitted "sometimes it does."

Devils head coach John Hynes defended Hall when asked about him on Tuesday.

"When you look at Taylor, he's had a great time in New Jersey and continues to do so," Hynes said. "He's got a great relationship with the fans. I think some of that comment was a little bit taken out of context, and I think it more of, if I think the quote was extended when he said it, it wouldn't have been taken out of context.

"But he came in, it's (just) like him, he came back in the next game and played real well, had a nice goal, and I think all is good there."

New Jersey was expected to improve after an offseason overhaul that included adding P.K. Subban, Jack Hughes, and Nikita Gusev.

However, the Devils are struggling out of the gate and have won just three of their first 12 games entering Tuesday night's matchup. New Jersey is last in the Metropolitan Division.

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