YHH recently did an interview with Taylor and here is what he had to say.

What is it like playing hockey at a high level without the ability to hear?  "Playing hockey with hearing loss can be hard when I can't hear my defense partner calling for a pass or when I can't understand what someone is saying on the ice.  It forces me to pay close attention to what is happening which can be hard in a game as fast as hockey."

How do you communicate to the coach or does the coach communicate to you?  "When I am listening to a coach it sometimes sounds muffled. What I usually do is I lipread so that I can better understand what they are saying." Coaches are instructed at the  beginning of the season to be sure to make eye contact with him before they start talking - that way he knows they're talking to him, otherwise he has had to learn to tune out amplified background noise.

Can you hear the whistle?   "I can hear high pitched sounds better than I can hear low pitched sounds. For example I can hear a whistle better than I can hear other players on the ice."

Any great stories about being hearing impaired during a game?  Taylor did not have any "great stories", but his mom Jill did. "My husband and I noticed during one of his Peewee games that he looked unusually calm out on the ice throughout the game.  The coach noticed it too and asked him what was up as they were headed to the locker room between periods.  When Taylor didn't answer right away, he asked again.  Finally Taylor saw his coach was trying to talk to him.  He took his helmet off and asked the coach to wait until they got in the locker room and he would put in his hearing aids.  Turns out he was getting feedback in his helmet with his aids on, so his solution was to ditch the aids.  Probably the quietest, most peaceful hockey game he's ever had - and not a bit flustered because, as far as he was concerned, nobody had said a word to him the whole game!"

Do you have any role models or influences that are hearing impaired?  "Jim Kyte is my inspiration. He was the first and only legally deaf hockey player to play in the NHL. He played for 14 years in the NHL. In 1997 his hockey career ended due to a concussion as a result of a car crash."

Tell YHH about any friendships you have made because of hockey, either locally in Bemidji or in Minnesota.   "I have made lots of friends by playing hockey. The best friendships I have are because of hockey. If it wasn't for hockey I don't know where I would be."  Editor's Note: Taylor has been playing hockey with the same kids since he was 4 years old and they don't know Taylor any other way...in fact, most kids know him because he plays hockey, not because he's the kid with hearing aids.

Have you ever played with only hearing impaired players before?  "I haven't played on any hearing impaired teams, but I think that it would be a really cool experience."