The Carolina Hurricanes have existed as a team for 28 seasons and tonight, captain Jordan Staal will have played more games as a Hurricane than any one else in history.

Staal, 37, has been with Carolina for 14 seasons now and tonight against the Minnesota Wild he will play in Game 910.

But if we got back through all of those games, the tape will look virtually the same now as it did back then.

"As a player, he's someone that is extremely consistent," said linemate Seth Jarvis. "He's kind of the pinnacle of consistency for this team. Every night, you know what to expect and I think he delivers and that's something our team really leans on."

"You talk about consistency in people and that's what he is," said coach Rod Brind'Amour. "The fact that he just does it right on and off the ice. That's the kind of person you want representing your organization."

Consistency will be the one word you hear over and over again for Staal. No matter the year, no matter the game, no matter the situation.

That's what's made him successful and what keeps him impactful still 20 years into his career.

Staal has been a Selke-level centerman for his entire career, getting the toughest matchups night in and night out and he delivers even still at 37.

While he's not known for his offense, the Thunder Bay native has still posted 181 goals and 467 points as a member of the Hurricanes, good for the fourth best in team history for each.

"One thing about Jordan especially is that he appreciates every day," Brind'Amour said. "You can see it in the way he plays. Like, this could be my last game and it just feels like every time he goes out there, that's how hard he plays because you just never know and that's why for me personally, that's what I appreciate the most about him."

Staal has been the Hurricanes captain since 2019 and has worn a letter with the organization since 2012.

"When you're trying to think of a guy to lead your group, it has to be the guy that does it," Brind'Amour said. "He doesn't just talk the talk, this guy walks it every day

"What he does for our team... it's almost hard to put into words a little bit because he's certainly not talked about much outside of here. The hockey world doesn't talk about him as much as they should because he's that valuable to our group."

For Staal, it's also a family affair, as the player he's passing for the record is brother and former Canes captain Eric Staal, who suited up for 909 games as a Carolina Hurricane.

"Special family and a special couple of guys that we've been fortunate to have in this organization," Brind'Amour said. "Not many places have that where you get really high quality people and players that can stick around for a long time. I'm just really grateful that I got to play with one of them and coach the other one."

Staal has been a staple in the Hurricanes lineup for over a decade and with the way he's going, I could see him still notching a few more years under his belt and potentially challenging for the franchise's all-time games played record (Ron Francis - 1186).

"The way he comes to the rink every day and puts the team first," Brind'Amour said. "In today's day and age, it's not unique, but it's getting harder and harder to find."

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