The Staal brothers are four brothers from

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population i ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada, all of whom have had

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

contracts.

Eric Staal Eric Craig Staal (born October 29, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Buffalo S ...

Marc Staal Marc Staal (born January 13, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL) after having played over 1,000 regular season games with the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings ...

, and

Jordan Staal Jordan Staal (born September 10, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is regarded as a premier penalty-killer, both for his strong defensive skills a ...

still play in NHL, and all but

have played for the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

. The brothers were born to Dutch-Canadian sod farmers Henry and Linda Staal. Eric, Marc, Jordan and Jared played AAA with their hometown Thunder Bay Kings. Additionally, Eric, Jordan, and Marc are the first trio of brothers in NHL history to each record 1,000 games played.

Eric

(born October 29, 1984) is the oldest of the brothers. He played his

major junior Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

hockey for the

Peterborough Petes The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league. ...

of the OHL. Eric was selected second overall in the

2003 NHL Entry Draft The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was the 41st NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21 and 22, 2003. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. This wa ...

by the

. He played his first season after being drafted and was a part of the YoungStars game at the 2004 NHL All-Star Game. On June 19, 2006, Eric lifted the Stanley Cup with his teammates as they defeated the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

in game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. Eric was named captain of the Hurricanes on January 20, 2010. He became the fifth captain of the Hurricanes since their move to

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

from

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

. Eric competed for Team Canada at the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gret ...

, winning an Olympic gold medal. For the

2011 NHL All-Star Game The 2011 National Hockey League All-Star Game (also known as the ''2011 National Hockey League All-Star Game presented by Discover'') was played on January 30, 2011. The game took place at the RBC Center in Raleigh, home of the Carolina Hurricane ...

, hosted in

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

, Eric was chosen as one of the captains. On February 28, 2016, just before the trade deadline, Eric was traded to the New York Rangers where he joined his brother Marc. After an unsuccessful stint with the Rangers, Staal concluded his contract and as a free agent signed a three-year contract with the

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...

on July 1, 2016. In 2020, he was traded to the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

. In 2021, he was traded to the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

. In 2022, he was the captain of Team Canada in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. He is currently playing for the Florida Panthers.

Marc

(born January 13, 1987) is the second-oldest and the only brother to play as a

defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to ...

. He is also the only one to never play for the

Hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

. Marc played his major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL from 2003 to 2007. He was the team captain and lead the Wolves to their first OHL final in 30 years. He was drafted 12th overall by the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

in the

2005 NHL Entry Draft The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft. Originally scheduled to be held on June 25, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to the draft being postponed to July 30. Special procedures were required to determine the order of picks, because ...

but did not start playing in the NHL until 2007. Like Eric, Marc was a part of the YoungStars game at the

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

in his rookie season. In 2010, after signing a 5-year extension with the Rangers, as well as a strong

training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...

, Marc was named an alternate captain of the team. Marc played on his brother Eric's team at the 2011 NHL All Star Game. On February 22, 2011, Marc was checked by his brother Eric and was slow to get up. He played the remainder of the season but it was revealed before the Rangers 2011 training camp that Marc was suffering from post-concussion symptoms. He did not return until January 2, 2012, to play in the

2012 NHL Winter Classic The 2012 NHL Winter Classic (known via corporate sponsorship as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic) was an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game, part of the Winter Classic series, played on January 2, 2012, at Citizens Bank P ...

against the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...

. Marc again lost most of a season due to injury in the lockout shortened 2012–13 season, as in March he got hit by a puck in the eye playing against the Flyers. Marc returned as a regular with the Rangers in 2013–14, and helped the team get to the

2014 Stanley Cup Finals The 2014 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) season, and the culmination of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs. The League realigned its divisions prior to the season, and changed the structure of th ...

against the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

, losing in 5 games. On September 26, 2020, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. He is currently playing for the Florida Panthers.

Jordan

(born September 10, 1988) is the third-oldest of the brothers. He played major junior for the same club as his brother Eric, the Peterborough Petes. With an almost point per game pace, Jordan helped lead the Petes to the

J. Ross Robertson Cup The J. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadian ice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually in junior ice hockey to the champion of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated by John Ross Robertson to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1910, and ...

as OHL champions in 2006. He was drafted second overall by the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

in the

2006 NHL Entry Draft The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 24, 2006. The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006. The draft was ...

. He made his NHL debut in October 2006, a year before his older brother Marc. Jordan played in the YoungStars game at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game. He was nominated for the

Calder Memorial Trophy The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving as ...

, given to the Rookie of the Year by the NHL, but was beat out by teammate

Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin ( rus, Евге́ний Влади́мирович Ма́лкин, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ˈmaɫkʲɪn; born 31 July 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of ...

. In 2008, the Penguins made the Stanley Cup final but were defeated in six games by the Detroit Red Wings. He served as an alternate captain of the Penguins in December 2008, later he was named a full-time alternate captain at the start of the 2010–11 season. On June 12, 2009, Jordan became the second of the Staal brothers to hoist the Stanley Cup after defeating the reigning champion Red Wings in seven games. Due to a series of injuries, Jordan did not make his 2010–11 season debut until January 1, 2011 at the

2011 NHL Winter Classic The 2011 NHL Winter Classic (known via corporate sponsorship as the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic) was an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game, part of the Winter Classic series, played on January 1, 2011, at Heinz Field in ...

. At the NHL entry draft in 2012, Jordan was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, to be re-united with older brother

. He then signed a 10-year, $60 million contract with Carolina. As of 2019–20, Jordan is the captain for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Jared

Jared Staal Jared John Staal (born August 21, 1990) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current coach. He is currently an assistant coach for the AHL's Charlotte Checkers. Staal moved into coaching after retiring from playing in 2017, f ...

(born August 21, 1990) is the youngest and the only brother to shoot right-handed. He played major junior for the Sudbury Wolves and played with his brother Marc during the 2006–07 season. Jared was taken 49th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the

2008 NHL Entry Draft The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, on June 20–21, 2008. The Senators were originally awarded the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, but because of ...

, the only brother to be drafted by a Western Conference team. In 2009, Jared signed an amateur tryout contract with the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, the

San Antonio Rampage The San Antonio Rampage were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. The Rampage was primarily owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment throughout the team's existence. In 2020, the franchise was sold ...

. He appeared for five games with the Rampage before being sent back to the Sudbury Wolves. On May 13, 2010, the

, the team his brothers Eric and Jordan played for, acquired his rights from the Coyotes for a 5th round draft pick. The next day, the Hurricanes signed Jared to a three-year entry-level contract. Jared began the 2010–11 season with the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, the

Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affi ...

. However, after 12 games, he was sent to the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

to play for the

Florida Everblades The Florida Everblades are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Estero, Florida, in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area. They play in the ECHL and are affiliated with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (N ...

but was later recalled. He returned to the Checkers for the 2011–12 season but was loaned to the Providence Bruins, the AHL affiliate of the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

. On April 24, 2013, the Hurricanes recalled Jared for his only two NHL games where he played alongside brothers Eric and Jordan. He played the 2017–18 season in the

EIHL The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to as the British Elite League or, for sponsorship reasons, the Viaplay Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey ...

for the

Edinburgh Capitals The Edinburgh Capitals are a Scottish ice hockey club, playing in the Scottish National League (SNL). They are based in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. The team play at the Murrayfield Ice Rink, close to Murrayfield Rugby stadium. In Apri ...

. He is currently a coach in the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...

farm system in Orlando (ECHL).

Careers statistics

References