Eric Staal is a Canadian professional hockey center who plays for the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League. In his career, Staal has been selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game four times, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006.http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470595&view=bio

For the 2011 NHL All-Star Game, Staal was named as a team captain alongside Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. Fellow players selected Staal and Lidstrom for the honor of being a team captain and earning the right to name his teammates. The 2011 NHL All-Star Game takes place on January 30, 2011, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, home of the Carolina Hurricanes.http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=549744

Eric Staal was born on October 29, 1984, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Prior to playing professionally, Staal played in the Ontario Hockey League for the Peterborough Petes between 2000 and 2003.http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=55283

Staal is one of four brothers who play professional hockey with brother Marc playing for the New York Rangers, Jordan playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jared playing in the American Hockey League with the Charlotte Checkers. Eric Staal and wife Tanya have one son, Parker.http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470595&view=bio

Staal has represented his native Canada internationally at both the World Ice Hockey Championships and the Winter Olympics. In 2007, he helped Canada win a gold medal at the World Championships and come back to win a silver medal at the same event in 2008. In 2010, Staal was part of the Canadian Men's Hockey Team that won a gold medal at the Olympics.http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470595&view=bio

The Carolina Hurricanes selected Staal second overall in the 2003 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut that same year, playing 81-of-82 regular-season games. He was then selected for the NHL Young Stars Game in 2004. He spent the following season in the American Hockey League with the Lowell Lock Monsters due to the NHL Lockout. Stall returned to the Hurricanes in 2005, helping the team win the 2006 Stanley Cup Championship. Staal has since been named captain of the Hurricanes and selected for four NHL All-Star Game appearances, in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, the second of which earned him the All-Star MVP award.http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470595&view=bio

Staal holds several franchise records for the Carolina Hurricanes including for goals in a game with four, points in a game with six, shots in a game with 12, consecutive 30-goal seasons with four, career playoff points with 43 and career playoff goals with 19, among others.http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470595&view=bio