By Brian Kopycinski
The Pittsburgh Penguins of the 2000s were a team in transition, from Mario Lemieux to Sidney Crosby. After a few poor seasons, not to mention a league-wide lockout, things were looking up after the selections of Crosby, Marc-André Fleury and Evgeni Malkin. The turnaround was quick. The team went from a record of 22-46-14 to 47-24-11, from 2005-06 to 2006-07.
Following Crosby’s historic rookie year, Malkin, the Soviet born second-overall pick of the ‘04 draft, looked to keep this momentum going as a potential Calder Memorial Trophy winner, after Sid lost out to Alexander Ovechkin. While the name Jordan Staal hasn’t necessarily been forgotten by Pens fans, what Staal did his first year in the league, making the direct jump from junior hockey to the NHL, simply doesn’t get talked about enough.
Jordan, the third of four boys, all to play in the NHL, grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, located on Lake Superior. He played two seasons in the OHL for the Peterborough Petes, about two hours northeast of Toronto. Considered one of the top prospects in the 2006 cycle, the Penguins drafted Staal second-overall, behind American defenseman Erik Johnson.
For his rookie season, Staal played in 81 out of a possible 82 games and set several records that still stand to this day. As an 18-year-old, he scored goals and played great defense. The most notable of his achievements include becoming the youngest player to score a hat trick and setting the record for the most shorthanded goals by a rookie in a season with 7.
Staal was third on the team in goals with 29, behind Crosby and Malkin, and led the Pens with a +16 +/- line. For his efforts, he was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, alongside his teammate Geno, and finished third in the Calder Trophy voting, the honor awarded to Malkin. In the years since, Staal remained a valuable member of the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup teams.
His play made him a fan favorite in Pittsburgh. Sadly, Staal wouldn’t spend the majority of his career in the black and gold. On Draft Day in 2012, hosted at Consol Energy Center, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin, and the eighth-overall pick. The Penguins used this selection on defenseman Derrick Pouliot.
Staal joined his older brother Eric in Carolina, where he has enjoyed his best years. In 2019, he succeeded Justin Williams to become the Hurricanes’ captain, the same honor his brother wore proudly on his sweater for many years. Carolina easily won this trade. Pouliot was a bust. Sutter had a few good years. Dumoulin was the best of the return. While Staal wasn’t a part of the back-to-back Penguins Stanley Cup run, he’s been great for the Canes, and helped lead them to consecutive Division championships in recent years.
At the age of 37, Staal has shown no major signs of slowing down, having only missed significant time due to injury twice in his Hurricanes career. While Ron Francis holds the record for most games in franchise history (with the Hartford Whalers), Staal leads all Canes players with 937 and counting. Staal is a natural leader, one you can’t win without.
Whether this happens in Carolina or elsewhere, he’s a proven winner already with what he’s accomplished in a Penguins uniform. Looking back, Staal went from being fresh out of school to one of the top rookies in the NHL. His accomplishments on the ice have added to a lasting legacy that extends beyond himself to his brothers and all they’ve done, as one of the greatest hockey families of all-time.