RALEIGH, N.C. – Thunder Bay’s Eric Staal's No. 12 has been raised to the rafters at Raleigh, N.C.’s Lenovo Center.
The Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday retired the Thunder Bay forward’s number, honouring one of the franchise’s greatest players, alongside Ron Francis, Rod Brind’Amour and Glen Wesley.
Last July Staal, who helped lead the Hurricanes to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship, singed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the team that drafted him third overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
“I truly am humbled,” Staal said at the time, talking to Hurricanes officials as they broke the news to him and his family.
“You guys mean so much to me … It’s such an incredible feeling to be back with your guys. This is where I feel I belong and I’m just super grateful to have this chance.”
The now 40-year-old, who grew up playing hockey in Oliver Paipoonge on a backyard rink with his brothers Marc, Jordan and Jared, a rink built by his father, Henry, said as a kid he dreamt of playing in the National Hockey League.
“It’s all I wanted to do and now to say that my jersey is going to be hanging is pretty neat. It’s kind of hard to put into words. That’s pretty special, so thanks.”
Staal spent 12 seasons with the Hurricanes, formerly the Hartford Whalers, putting up 322 goals and 775 points in 909 games, all tops in the Carolina portion of the franchise’s 46-year NHL history.
Traded to the New York Rangers at the deadline in 2016, he signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild that summer, playing for seasons in St. Paul, Minn. He spent part of 2020-21 with Buffalo before being dealt to Montreal, where helped Montreal on a surprising playoff run to the Stanley Cup final.
After playing in a second Olympic games in 2022 for Team Canada – he won Winter Olympic gold in 2006 – Staal played one final season with brother Marc with the Florida Panthers in 2022-23 and made another trip to the Stanley Cup final, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights.
He retired after 1,365 NHL games, 455 goals, 608 assists and 1,063 points. He added 64 more points in 104 playoff games.
Staal’s 455 goals are the second most by a player with Thunder Bay roots, trailing only the 456 scored by Detroit Red Wings Hal of Famer Alex Delvecchio.
His No.12 was retired prior to Carolina’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.
