Early life

Staal was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the son of sod farmers Henry and Linda Staal. 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. Eric took his jersey number 12 from what his father wore when he played hockey for the Lakehead Thunderwolves from 1978 to 1983.

Playing career

Staal grew up playing minor hockey in Thunder Bay, and played AAA for the Thunder Bay Kings organization and led his Bantam team to an All-Ontario Championship in the 1999-2000 season. After the season, Staal was selected in the first round, 13th overall, in the 2000 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection by the Peterborough Petes. While not even Staal's father thought Eric was fit for the OHL, he finished his first season with 49 points in 63 games. In his sophomore season, Staal upped his total to 62, and in 2002-03, his last season before the NHL Entry Draft, he scored a career-best 98 points in 66 games.

Staal was selected second overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, behind number one pick Marc-André Fleury. He played his first season in the NHL right after being drafted. In 2004, Staal played in the YoungStars Game as part of the 2004 NHL All-Star festivities.

As the 2004-05 season was cancelled due to a lock-out, Staal spent the year with the Hurricanes' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lowell Lock Monsters. He established new franchise records in points (77), assists (51), plus-minus (+37) and shorthanded goals (7) in a season, and was also called for the AHL All Star Classic.

In the 2005-06 season, Staal scored a career-high 100 points during the regular season, and was named NHL Offensive Player of the Week of October 23-30, 2005, the same week in which he scored his first career hat-trick, coming against the Philadelphia Flyers. He then led the Hurricanes in points during the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs with 28 as they won the Stanley Cup. After the season, Staal finished fourth in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL's most valuable player (MVP). Following the successful season, on July 1, 2006, Staal signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension with the Hurricanes.

Staal made his first All-Star Game appearance in 2007 All-Star Game in Dallas, where he scored the Eastern Conference's third goal. On January 27, 2008, at the 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta, Staal recorded two goals and an assist. He was also awarded the MVP award for the event.

On September 11, 2008, Staal signed a seven-year, $57.75 million extension with the Hurricanes, which was to begin in the 2009-10 season. Staal was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1, 2009, but signed despite having one year at $5 million remaining on his former contract.

On April 28, 2009, Staal capped an improbable comeback by scoring the series-winning goal with 31.7 seconds remaining in the Game 7 of Carolina's first round series of the 2009 playoffs against the New Jersey Devils. The Hurricanes went as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, ultimately losing to the eventually Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On May 8, 2009, Staal scored twice to earn 40 career post-season points, eclipsing Ron Francis' franchise mark of 39.

On January 20, 2010, Staal was named team captain, replacing Rod Brind'Amour, who was named an alternate captain. Staal became the fifth captain since the team relocated to the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, from Hartford.

On January 18, 2011, Staal was named one of two team captains for 2011 NHL All-Star Game, held in the Hurricanes' home city of Raleigh. In the Game, Team Staal fell 10-11 to Team Lidstrom, captained by the Detroit Red Wings' Nicklas Lidström.

Staal is one of the most durable players in the NHL, having played in 690 of Carolina's 704 regular-season games (98%) since the beginning of his rookie year of 2003-04, and with just 14 games missed in nine seasons - 12 due to injury and two due to attending his sister-in-law's funeral.

On February 28, 2016, Staal was traded to the New York Rangers from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Aleksi Saarela and two second-round draft picks (2016 and 2017).

International play

Medal record
Representing Canada
Men's ice hockey
Olympic Winter Games
	2010 Vancouver
World Championships
	2007 Moscow
	2008 Halifax / Quebec City

Staal received his first calls to Team Canada for the 2007 World Championships in Moscow. Along with younger brother Jordan, he won gold in a 4-2 win against Finland, scoring five goals, including the overtime winner in the quarter-finals over the Czech Republic. In the following year, Staal was back with Team Canada at the 2008 World Championships in Quebec City, winning a silver medal. He scored eight goals in the tournament, four of them in Canada's 10-1 defeat of Germany.

Four years after being named only for Canada's taxi squad for the 2006 Winter Olympics, Staal was selected for the Canadian team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He became a starter alongside Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla, and scored one goal and five assists on the path to a gold medal. The Olympic title added with previous NHL and World Championship wins made Staal the 23rd player in the Triple Gold Club.

Staal was named captain of Team Canada in the 2013 World Championships in Stockholm. He would get injured in the first period of the quarter-finals, which Canada ended up losing to eventual champions Sweden, after a knee-on-knee hit by defenceman Alexander Edler.

Personal life

Staal married his longtime girlfriend Tanya Van den Broeke on August 3, 2007. Their first child, a son named Parker Lucas Staal, was born on September 22, 2009. Their second child, son Levi John Staal, was born December 11, 2011, in Raleigh. Their third child, son Finley Arthur Staal was born December 15, 2014.

Records

• Carolina Hurricanes' franchise record for most hat tricks in a single season - 4 (2008-09)
• Carolina Hurricanes' franchise record for most career post-season points - 43
• Carolina Hurricanes' franchise record for consecutive games - 349 (2004-2009)

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1999-00	Thunder Bay Kings Bantam AAA	TBAHA		61	40	36	76	52		—	—	—	—	—
2000-01	Peterborough Petes	OHL		63	19	30	49	23		7	2	5	7	4
2001-02	Peterborough Petes	OHL		56	23	39	62	40		6	3	6	9	10
2002-03	Peterborough Petes	OHL		66	39	59	98	36		7	5	9	14	6
2003-04	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		81	11	20	31	40		—	—	—	—	—
2004-05	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL		77	26	51	77	88		11	2	8	10	12
2005-06	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		82	45	55	100	81		25	9	19	28	8
2006-07	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		82	30	40	70	68		—	—	—	—	—
2007-08	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		82	38	44	82	50		—	—	—	—	—
2008-09	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		82	40	35	75	50		18	10	5	15	4
2009-10	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		70	29	41	70	68		—	—	—	—	—
2010-11	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		81	33	43	76	72		—	—	—	—	—
2011-12	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		82	24	46	70	48		—	—	—	—	—
2012-13	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		48	18	35	53	54		—	—	—	—	—
2013-14	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		79	21	40	61	74		—	—	—	—	—
2014-15	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		77	23	31	54	41		—	—	—	—	—
2015-16	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		63	10	23	33	32		—	—	—	—	—
2015-16	New York Rangers	NHL		20	3	3	6	2		5	0	0	0	4
NHL totals				929	325	456	781	680		43	19	24	43	16

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002	Canada	WJC18	6th		8	2	5	7	4
2007	Canada	WC	01 !		9	5	5	10	6
2008	Canada	WC	02 !		8	4	3	7	6
2010	Canada	Oly	01 !		7	1	5	6	6
2013	Canada	WC	5th		8	0	3	3	4
Junior totals					8	2	5	7	4
Senior totals					32	10	16	26	22

Awards and honours

Award	Year
CHL
OHL Top Prospect Award	2002-03
OHL Second All-Star Team	2002-03
Top Prospects Game	2003
CHL First All-Star Team	2002-03
AHL
Best Plus/Minus	2004-05
NHL
YoungStars Game	2003-04
Second All-Star Team	2005-06
Stanley Cup (Carolina Hurricanes)	2005-06
All-Star Game	2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
All-Star Game MVP	2008
International
World Championship Gold	2007
Olympic Gold	2010

[ Source: Wikipedia ]