Eric Staal will officially retire as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Staal inked a one-day contract with the Hurricanes on Tuesday to officially stamp his retirement with the team that he spent the first 12 seasons of his career with.
Staal’s No. 12 will also make its way to the rafters in the not-so-distant future, with the Hurricanes announcing his banner-rasing ceremony will take place at some point during the 2024-25 campaign.
Staal, 39, helped lead the Hurricanes to their only Stanley Cup title in 2006. The Thunder Bay Ont., native holds the franchise records in goals (322), assists (453), points (775), games played (909), power-play goals (105), power-play points (252) and hat tricks (13) since the team relocated to Carolina in 1997.
“I want to thank my family, former teammates, coaches and staff members who played a role in helping me live my dream, playing in the NHL,” said Staal in a statement.
“I will forever treasure the memories and friendships made during my 18 years in the world’s best league.”
Following his successful tenure in Carolina, Staal dressed for the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers across his final seven seasons in the league. In total, he scored 455 goals, 608 assists and 1,063 points in 1,365 games.
Staal is one of just 30 players in the triple-gold club, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, world championship gold in 2007 and Olympic gold in 2010.