Oilers' Hall reaches personal goal with All-Star invite

The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game in Nashville on Jan. 31 is less than two weeks away. In the lead-up to All-Star Weekend at Bridgestone Arena, NHL.com sat down with a host of this season's participants to talk about playing in the game. In this edition, Taylor Hall of the Edmonton Oilers discusses playing in his first All-Star Game.

1. What does being an All-Star mean to you personally?

I'm very proud of it. It's my first one going there. You set goals before the beginning of the season and being there was definitely one of them. I'm proud to be going to it.

2. What is your favorite memory from previous All-Star Games?

I went as a Young Star in my first season [2010-2011], so just being able to hang out with the guys there and be around them was really cool. I participated in the fastest skater event and that was a lot of fun.

3. If you could invite any celebrity to the All-Star Game as your guest, who would it be and why?

(Sprinter) Usain Bolt is one of my favorite athletes and I think hanging out with him would be a pretty good time.

4. Who from your divisional All-Star team who would you put on your trio if you were the coach of the team?

I'm not a huge Calgary Flames guy by any means because we compete against them, but I really admire Johnny Gaudreau as a player and I think he would be a fun guy to play with out there 3-on-3. I think Mark Giordano as well would be good. I hate playing against them, but I have a lot of respect for those guys.

5. In a perfect world, you get to pick what song you skate out to for player introductions at All-Star Game; what song would you chose?

I'm not really sure. I don't know.

6. If you could have dinner with three other players from this year's All-Star Game, who would you pick and why?

Brent Burns, John Scott and Patrick Kane. I think they would all be pretty fun guys to hang out with.

7. Cowboy boots or cowboy hat as a fashion accessory?

Cowboy boots.

8. Alex Ovechkin passed 500 goals this season. Do you think he can get to 800 before he retires?

I think so. He's the best goal scorer of our generation.

9. Edmonton has had a long history of sending great players to the All-Star Game. What does it mean to be part of that group now?

It's awesome. I was extremely honored when I got the call, and to go there and represent the Edmonton Oilers is very exciting for me.

10. What skills competition would you want to compete in?

I'd want to do the fastest skater again. I finished second last time in the Young Stars competition and I would love to try and finish first this time.

11. Who are you taking to Nashville with you?

Both my parents. I'm an only child, so it'll be just us three. It's going to be awesome to share this with them. They're extremely proud of what I've been able to accomplish and it's great to be able to be there with them.

12. Had you not been selected to play in the All-Star Game, what would you have done during the break?

I probably would have gone to Cabo San Lucas (Mexico) or Los Angeles, something like that, somewhere warm. But I'm happy to be going to Nashville. All the other guys are going to come back with a tan and I'm going to be a little jealous of that, but I'm fine with it.