After going a year without playing professionally, today Eric Staal signed a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes to formalize his retirement, officially stepping away from the game just a few months shy of his 40th birthday.

The #2 pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2003 NHL Draft, Staal debuted as a rookie in the 2003 NHL season, where he would spend his first twelve seasons in The Triangle, turning them from a lowly relocated Southern franchise into a Stanley Cup winner by 2006, becoming team captain by 2009. By the time he left the team in 2016, Staal set franchise records in goals, points and games played, making it to nearly 1,000 games before being traded to the New York Rangers mid-season. After just twenty games on Broadway, Staal would end up in Minnesota for his next four seasons before the COVID-19 pandemic turned him into a journeyman at 36, spending parts of a season each with Buffalo, Montréal, Florida and Minnesota’s farm system, his final game coming in 2023. In 18 NHL seasons, Staal notched 455 goals and 1,063 points in 1,365 career games, along with 64 points in 104 career playoff games over eight seasons, retiring as a six-time NHL All-Star.

The oldest of four NHL-bound brothers from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Staal debuted for the national team at the 2002 World Under-18 championships, making his senior team debut at the 2007 World Championships, his first of three (2007, 2008, 2013) tournaments, capturing Gold in his debut and Silver in his return appearance the following year. Staal also competed at two Olympics (2010, 2022), capturing Gold on home ice at the 2010 Vancouver Games, gaining him entry to the Triple Gold Club, becoming the 23rd player, and sixth Canadian, to join the Club.

Despite his massive career success and being a Triple Gold Club member, Staal surprisingly only won the IHLC twice, first at the 2007 World Championships, and again at the 2010 Olympics. We wish Eric and his family the very best for his retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: New York Times – IIHF – HHOF – IOC