Eric Staal

Lore & Background

Eric Staal is the oldest of the Staal brothers, which includes former teammates Marc, Jordan, and Jared. He was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, to sod farmers Henry and Linda Staal; all four of his grandparents were Dutch immigrants. He started playing hockey at age four and learned to operate farming tools while playing on a home ice rink with his brothers. His childhood idols were Joe Sakic and Wayne Gretzky, and he took jersey number 12 from his father, who wore it playing for the Lakehead Thunderwolves from 1978 to 1983.

Staal played minor hockey for the Thunder Bay Kings organization and led his Bantam team to an All-Ontario Championship in 1999–2000. He was selected 13th overall in the 2000 OHL Priority Selection by the Peterborough Petes. In his draft year, he led the Petes in scoring with 39 goals and 98 points, earning CHL First All-Star Team and OHL Second All-Star Team honors. He was selected second overall in the 2003 NHL entry draft by the Hurricanes, behind Marc-André Fleury.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Staal played for the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, the Lowell Lock Monsters, setting franchise records in points (77), assists (51), plus-minus (+37), and shorthanded goals (7). In the 2005–06 season, he scored a career-high 100 points and led the Hurricanes in playoff points with 28 as they won the Stanley Cup. He was named captain in 2010 and served for six years. He was traded to the New York Rangers in 2016, then signed with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent. He later played for the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens (reaching the 2021 Stanley Cup Final), and Florida Panthers (reaching the 2023 Stanley Cup Final). He retired in 2024.

Reader's Guide

Eric Staal's significance lies in his central role during the Carolina Hurricanes' 2006 Stanley Cup championship, where he led the playoffs in assists (19) and points (28). He is the franchise's longest-serving captain of the post-relocation era, holding the position from 2010 to 2016. His 12 seasons with Carolina included two 40-goal seasons and three other 30-goal seasons, making him one of the most productive forwards in team history. Staal's jersey retirement in 2025 placed him among only four players in franchise history to receive that honor. Beyond Carolina, his career spanned five other NHL teams, and he reached the Stanley Cup Final with both Montreal (2021) and Florida (2023). He is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won the Stanley Cup, World Championships (2007), and Olympic gold (2010) with Team Canada. His 1,000th career point came in 2019, and he scored his 400th career goal in 2018. Staal's longevity and consistent scoring across 18 NHL seasons, combined with his leadership and championship pedigree, cement his legacy as a key figure in Hurricanes history and a notable player of his era.

Did You Know?

• He scored his first career hat-trick against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2005–06 season.
• Staal was named MVP of the 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta.
• He scored the series-winning goal with 31.7 seconds remaining in Game 7 of the 2009 first-round playoffs against the New Jersey Devils, a comeback nicknamed 'Shock at the Rock'.