Jordan Staal, the 34-year-old hockey center of the Carolina Hurricanes, has been rolling the dice in the National Hockey League (NHL). The talented hockey star was drafted in the 1st round of the 2006 NHL entry draft with the 2nd overall pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Carolina Hurricanes acquired Jordan Staal in a trade on June 22nd, 2012, in exchange for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin, and the 8th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
The hockey star inked a 10-year contract with the Hurricanes for $60 million on July 1st, 2012. The contract comprises $6 million, with $6 million as the annual average salary. The Hurricanes captain has $6 million as the base salary. Jordan Staal has managed a minors salary of $6 million for the 2022-23 season.
Thunder Bay native Jordan Staal has a prolific record of 645 points in 1,173 games. He also has 64 playoff points in 128 games. Staal will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) by the end of the 2022-23 season when he is 34.
Jordan Staal played two seasons of major junior hockey with the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He began in the 2004–05 season after being selected 3rd overall in the 2004 OHL Priority Draft.
Staal provided 16 points in the playoffs during his second season with the squad. He scored 68 points in 68 games, including 28 goals, to help the Petes win the OHL championship and the J. Ross Robertson Cup. The Petes participated in the 2006 Memorial Cup, although they could only make it as far as round-robin play. Throughout the 2005–06 season, the Hurricanes captain was chosen to participate in the CHL Top Prospects Game.
The Hurricanes UFA prospect, Staal, was rated second-best North American skater going into the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. He was only behind University of Minnesota's Erik Johnson, who was rated first.
Staal jumped from junior to the NHL immediately after signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins in October 2006 at 18. During his first game, he beat Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers with a shorthanded breakaway goal, helping his side win 6-5 on October 12th. A few weeks later, on October 21st, he broke two NHL records by being the first person born in 1988 to score in the NHL and the youngest player to score two goals in a single game.
