Eric Staal Games Played Record

Lore & Background

Drafted second overall in 2003 by the Hurricanes, he played in the 2004 NHL All-Star Game as a rookie and recorded 11 goals. After playing the 2004–05 season in the AHL due to the NHL lockout, Staal scored 45 goals and recorded his only 100-point season in the 2005–06 season; in the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs, he had nine goals and nineteen assists for 28 points, leading the league in the latter two categories as the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup Final. He became captain of the team in 2010 and served in the position for six years. In his twelve seasons with Carolina, he recorded two 40-goal seasons and three other 30-goal seasons. He was traded to the Rangers late in the 2015–16 season before signing as a free agent with the Wild in 2016; he scored his 400th career goal in 2018 and recorded his 1,000th career point in 2019. He was traded to the Sabres in 2020 and Canadiens in 2021, reaching the Stanley Cup Final with the latter team. He signed a contract to play with the Panthers in 2022 and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, scoring a goal to set a record for the longest gap in goals scored by a player in Final history. A six-time selection to the NHL All-Star Game, Staal has not officially retired as of 2024 and his jersey has not been retired by the Hurricanes as of 2025. Staal is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006, and both the 2007 World Championships and the 2010 Winter Olympics with Team Canada.

In Their Own Story

The arena hummed with anticipation as the puck dropped for the milestone game. Under the bright lights, number twelve skated forward, the ice cold beneath his blades. He didn't need to score to make history; simply taking that shift cemented a legacy written in endurance and loyalty against the backdrop of roaring fans.

Reader's Guide

Staal was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the son of sod farmers Henry and Linda Staal. All four of his grandparents were Dutch immigrants. He started playing hockey at the age of four, and along with learning how to operate farming tools he played in a home ice rink with his three younger brothers. His idols growing up were forwards Joe Sakic and Wayne Gretzky. Staal took his jersey number 12 from what his father wore when he played hockey for the Lakehead Thunderwolves from 1978 to 1983.

Did You Know?

• Staal was drafted second overall in the 2003 NHL entry draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, behind number one pick Marc-André Fleury.
• 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 seven of the 2009 playoffs against the New Jersey Devils, a comeback nicknamed 'Shock at the Rock'.
• Staal became the 89th player all-time to score 1,000 career points on December 15, 2019.