Allen Douglas
B.C. Division, Opinion

Adam Hall impressing early this season

Written by Adam Kierszenblat on

 

Through eight games Adam Hall has been a hidden gem for the Vancouver Giants. From his impressive work on special teams to providing secondary scoring that is crucial to a team’s success, Hall has delivered early this season.

Career year

Adam Hall comes to the Giants after spending two seasons with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He has had success at the AJHL level but was unable to find consistency throughout his time with the Hurricanes. Now with Vancouver, Hall has been a consistent performer playing on a line with Justin Sourdif and Tristen Nielsen. Hall has registered four goals and two assists through the team’s first eight games. This beats out his previous high of one goal and four assists from 2018-2019 in 36 games.

One of the main reasons for Hall’s success this year has to do with him shooting the puck more. In 2018-2019, he managed 40 shots on goal in 36 games. That is an average of 1.1 shots per game. This year, he has 18 shots in his first eight games or 1.875 shots per game. His increased shots and improved linemates are proving to be effective as he is having the best WHL season of his career.

Special teams work a real bright spot

One under-appreciated part of Hall’s game is work on special teams. He has done well on the second powerplay unit, but the real bright spot has been on the penalty kill. He has a shorthanded goal and continues to create chances when down a player. The Giants are averaging 4.6 penalty kills per game, and Hall has been a big part of why they continue to be one of the top teams in the league.

The Giants are fourth in the entire league with an 86.5% penalty kill rate. Although most of the penalty kill duties are attributed to Nielsen and Sourdif, Hall has been a great addition when it comes to killing the back half of a penalty. His speed and size allow him to create chances when the puck is cleared, and he is not scared to block shots.

Hall is sure to get more opportunities as the season goes on, especially with his impressive play on special teams so far this season.

Making the most of his opportunities

Although Hall’s point totals may not reflect his total contribution to the team, he has been an important part of the Giant’s top six this season. Playing on a line with Sourdif and Nielsen has provided Hall the chance to show the WHL how strong of a player he really is. From battling in front of the net to taking the body creating space for his linemates, Hall has been a fantastic addition to that line. His effectiveness has also allowed the Giants to spread out their scoring. They now have a balanced top-six that causes matchup issues when other teams try to gameplan against the Giants. Hall has been a great addition to this tea. He should play a pivotal role in the team’s success late in the season.