The Carolina Hurricanes retired Eric Staal's number 12 in a ceremony Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal will play in his 1,300th career game tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. Not only will Staal become the 74th player in league history to reach that milestone, but he'll also become the first player from the 2006 draft class to reach it as well. Drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Staal played six seasons in the Steel City including helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2009, before being traded to Carolina in 2012. In 1,299 games, Staal has collected 294 goals and 699 points and has played the fourth most games in Hurricanes franchise history (868). Across his 19-years in the NHL, the Canes captain has enjoyed relatively good health, missing only 149 games across his career. The 35-year-old centerman's dedication to his body and staying in shape have given him the ability to continually be an impact player, even today as one of the NHL's best defensive forwards. Staal has been a Selke finalist twice, collecting votes in every season but three, and he has the ninth-best faceoff win percentage amongst all active forwards with at least 10,000 draws (53.4%). He's an integral piece for Carolina and very likely will continue to be one. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMTgyOTk5MDg3NzIwMDY0/google-news.png] Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwmeDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to never miss a story.
