CHL Defenseman of the Year Commits to the Cats
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito announced today that defenseman Nathan Staios has agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract.
“Nathan is a highly skilled defenseman who possesses an excellent playmaking ability,” said Zito. “This past season, he established himself as one of the best defenders in junior hockey and we are excited that he will continue his career within our organization.”
Staios, 21, skated in 59 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2021-22, setting a club record and leading all OHL defensemen with 66 points (15-51-66). Following the regular season, Staios was named the CHL Defenseman of the Year and earned the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman. In the 2021-22 postseason, Staios recorded nine points (3-6-9) over 13 games, helping Hamilton capture the OHL championship.
The 5-foot-8, 170-pound native of Atlanta, Ga., has played in 237 career OHL games with Hamilton (2019-20 and 2021-22) and the Windsor Spitfires (2017-18 to 2018-19), amassing 148 points (33-115-148).
Undrafted, Staios also appeared in six American Hockey League (AHL) games with the Utica Comets and nine games with Huddinge IK of HockeyEttan in Sweden during the 2020-21 season.
Staios’ father, Steve, is a 16-season (1995-96 to 2011-12) NHL veteran who skated in 1,001 games between the Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, Atlanta Thrashers, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and New York Islanders.
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