SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito announced today that defenseman Marc Staal has agreed to terms on a one-year contract.
“Marc is an accomplished veteran blueliner who brings so much to our team on and off the ice,” said Zito. “A stable and reliable presence and a leader to our defensive corps, we are excited to welcome him to Florida.”
Staal, 35, skated in 71 games with the Detroit Red Wings in 2021-22, logging 16 points (3-13-16). He ranked second among Detroit blueliners with 94 hits.
The 6-foot-4, 208-pound native of Thunder Bay, Ontario is a veteran of 1,019 NHL games with Detroit (2020-21 to 2021-22) and the New York Rangers (2007-08 to 2019-20), amassing 214 points (49-165-214). He is one of only 10 defensemen who have skated in over 1,000 NHL games since 2007-08.
Staal has competed in 107 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, all with the Rangers, which are the second-most in franchise history. He reached the Stanley Cup Final with New York in 2014.
On the international stage, Staal won consecutive gold medals with Canada at the 2006 and 2007 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, serving as an assistant captain in 2007. He was named the tournament’s best defenseman in 2006.
Prior to his professional career, Staal skated in 236 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games with the Sudbury Wolves from 2003-04 to 2006-07, registering 123 points (23-100-123). He served as captain in each of his final two seasons with the club. During the 2006-07 season, he was named the OHL playoffs MVP and the recipient of the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman.
Originally selected by the New York Rangers in the first round (12th overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft, Staal comes from one of the most decorated hockey families in NHL history. His brothers, Eric, Jordan and Jared, have all played a combined 2,387 regular season NHL games.
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