Seguin debunks rivalry with Hall: 'I always secretly cheer for him'
The Taylor or Tyler debate began to brew ahead of the 2010 NHL Draft when Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin were neck and neck to be picked first overall. Before they had even entered the league, the two were seemingly on opposite sides of a rivalry.
Ten years later, Seguin says there's no ulterior competition between the two.
"I got to know him, we're always still nice to each other, never had any beef. Never, Taylor/Tyler massive competition," the Dallas Stars forward said, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance. "I always secretly cheer for him and watch his career."
He continued: "We're competitive pro athletes, right? I was happy as anyone else when he won the MVP, seeing what he went through, leaving Edmonton. I left Boston.
"There's so many things where we've gone separate ways in our career, and there are so many things that are the same in our career. "
With no consensus top prospect in the 2010 draft, it was virtually a toss-up as to who would go first on draft day. Seguin revealed that he and Hall even traveled to Edmonton and Boston together before the draft to meet with the Oilers and Bruins, who owned the first and second picks, respectively.
The Oilers ultimately selected Hall first, and the Bruins gladly settled for Seguin. But neither player's tenure with the team that drafted him went as planned.
Edmonton dealt Hall to the New Jersey Devils in 2016 after never making the playoffs in six seasons since drafting him. Seguin didn't last as long in Boston. The Bruins traded him to Dallas - where he blossomed into a star - in 2013.
While the two 28-year-olds have both enjoyed successful NHL careers so far, Seguin hasn't succumbed to outside pressure to fuel a rivalry with Hall.
"People always look for this hidden rivalry, don't like each other," he said. "I like Taylor a lot, I love his hockey game, I definitely am a fan of his and follow his career. I want him to get in the playoffs, he's worked so hard to get there."
Hall hasn't had many opportunities to play in the postseason, making the playoffs just once since entering the league. Seguin, who won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins his rookie season, has appeared in 62 playoff games.
Seguin has managed 279 goals and 635 points in 741 career games. Hall has racked up 218 goals and 563 points in 627 career games and was named league MVP in 2018.
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