Eric Staal is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played 18 seasons in the NHL for multiple teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, and Minnesota Wild. Notably, he is the eldest of the four Staal brothers, all of whom have played in the NHL.
In 1978, Eric Staal's father played hockey for the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
1983 marked the last year Eric Staal's father played hockey for the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
On October 29, 1984, Eric Craig Staal was born. He is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played eighteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
In 1999-2000 season, Eric Staal led his Bantam team to an All-Ontario Championship.
In 2000, Eric Staal was selected in the first round, 13th overall, in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection by the Peterborough Petes.
In 2003, Eric Staal was selected second overall in the NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.
During the 2004-05 NHL lockout season, Eric Staal played for the Lowell Lock Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Hurricanes.
In 2004, Eric Staal played in the YoungStars Game as part of the NHL All-Star festivities.
In 2005, Eric Staal was named NHL Offensive Player of the Week of October 23–30, the same week in which he scored his first career hat-trick, coming against the Philadelphia Flyers.
On July 1, 2006, Eric Staal signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension with the Carolina Hurricanes.
In 2006, Eric Staal was named only for Canada's taxi squad for the Winter Olympics.
On August 3, 2007, Eric Staal married his longtime girlfriend, Tanya Van den Broeke.
On September 11, 2008, Eric Staal signed a seven-year, $57.75 million extension with the Hurricanes, which was to begin in the 2009–10 season.
In 2008, Eric Staal was back with Team Canada at the World Championships in Quebec City, winning a silver medal.
The 2008-09 season was the last time Eric Staal had a 40+ goal season before his 2017-18 season.
On April 28, 2009, Eric Staal scored the series-winning goal with 31.7 seconds remaining in Game 7 of Carolina's first-round series of the 2009 playoffs against the New Jersey Devils.
On May 8, 2009, Eric Staal scored twice to earn 40 career post-season points, eclipsing Ron Francis' franchise mark of 39.
On July 1, 2009, Eric Staal was slated to become a restricted free agent but had already signed an extension.
On January 20, 2010, Eric Staal was named team captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, replacing Rod Brind'Amour.
In 2010, Eric Staal was selected for the Canadian team at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning a gold medal.
On January 18, 2011, Eric Staal was named one of two team captains for the 2011 NHL All-Star Game, held in the Hurricanes' home city of Raleigh.
In 2012, the Staal Brothers created the Staal Family Foundation.
In 2013, at the World Championships in Stockholm, Eric Staal was injured in the first period of the quarter-finals.
On February 28, 2016, Eric Staal was traded to the New York Rangers from the Carolina Hurricanes.
On July 1, 2016, Eric Staal signed a three-year contract with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent.
On March 19, 2017, Eric Staal played his 1,000th NHL game.
In 2017, Eric Staal was part of a trade for the New York Rangers involving a second-round draft pick.
On February 25, 2019, Eric Staal agreed to a two-year, $6.5 million extension with the Minnesota Wild.
On December 15, 2019, Eric Staal became the 89th player all-time to score 1000 career points.
On September 16, 2020, Eric Staal was traded by the Minnesota Wild to the Buffalo Sabres.
During the 2020-21 NHL season, Eric Staal did wear a Pride-themed jersey as a member of the Montreal Canadiens.
On March 26, 2021, Eric Staal was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the Montreal Canadiens.
During the 2020-21 NHL season, Eric Staal did wear a Pride-themed jersey as a member of the Montreal Canadiens.
In 2021, as a free agent from the Canadiens, Eric Staal remained unsigned leading into the 2021–22 season.
On January 13, 2022, Eric Staal resumed his professional career by agreeing to a professional try-out contract with the Iowa Wild of the AHL.
On January 23, 2022, Eric Staal was released from his professional tryout with the Iowa Wild.
In July 2022, Eric Staal signed a professional tryout contract (PTO) with the Florida Panthers.
In 2022, Eric Staal captained Team Canada to a sixth-place finish at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
In March 2023, Eric Staal and his brother Marc publicly declined to wear Pride themed jerseys.
In March 2023, Eric Staal, along with his brother Marc, refused to wear Pride-themed jerseys in the pre-game warmups as a part of the Panthers' annual Pride Night; they cited their Christian faith as the reason for their decision.
On July 30, 2024, Eric Staal signed a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes and retired from professional hockey.
On January 12, 2025, the Carolina Hurricanes retired Eric Staal's number 12.
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