As the calendar draws closer to August, there is some stuff to celebrate, especially if you’re Eric Staal, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the fanbase. On Tuesday, July 30, the Hurricanes announced on socials that the former captain and Stanley Cup Champion signed a one-day contract to retire with the team to bring an end to an 18-year career. He spent the first 12 seasons with the team who drafted him second overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Staal thought it was just a normal conference call over Zoom with general manager Eric Tulsky, head coach and former teammate Rod Brind’Amour, and some of the front office. However, that was not the case as the Hurricanes surprised Eric with more news that his wife Tanya had to help them keep. While reading the one-day contract, the team informed him that his #12 will be retired and will be lifted into the rafters at PNC Arena during the 2024-25 season.
He will be joining teammates Brind’amour and Glen Wesley along with Ron Francis as the four players to have their numbers retired by the organization. The legacy that Staal left on and off the ice shows how well deserving he is of the honor to see the #12 go right beside the #17, #2, and #10 high above the ice for seasons to come.
Staal Left a Legacy in Carolina
After spending 12 seasons in Carolina (2003-04 to 2015-16) Staal has cemented himself as one of the best players to ever wear a Hurricanes jersey. If there was a Mount Rushmore of Hurricanes players, he would more times than not be on that mountain. He played 909 games for the franchise before being traded to the New York Rangers during the 2015-16 season and the stats he left behind shows why he is one of the best in terms of being a productive forward.
Since the relocation, the now-retired Staal finished his career ranked first for the Hurricanes in team history in:
- Goals (322)
- Assists (453)
- Points (775)
- Games played (909)
- Power-play goals (105)
- Power-play points (252)
- Hat tricks (13)
Related: Eric Staal Signs One-Day Contract To Retire With the Hurricanes
Staal played in 1,365 career games in the NHL tallying 455 goals and 908 assists for 1,063 points. There is a good chance Staal could head into the Hockey Hall of Fame with a resume like that which includes a Stanley Cup victory. During that Stanley Cup run in the 2005-06 season that saw him become the only 100-point player for the Hurricanes, he accumulated nine goals and 28 points to lead that team. Furthermore, he even went on to record at least a point in…
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