Confirmed with Link: Eric Staal signs contract with Canes

[Svechhammer]

Will retire a Cane and hang in the rafters forever. A worthy honor for a worthy player

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[DaveG]

announced that he'll have his jersey retired at some point this season. Not surprising though I know some on here won't like it.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. I'm baffled why they would retire his number and not Ward's though

 

[Svechhammer]

announced that he'll have his jersey retired at some point this season. Not surprising though I know some on here won't like it.

Yeah I was wondering if it would be Hall of Fame or number retired. I agree with retiring it. He wasn't perfect but he was a good captain and leader for us through some of our darkest years and also brightest spots (ASG and Cup 2006/2009 playoff runs)

Have to imagine Ward gets his number retired as well

I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. I'm baffled why they would retire his number and not Ward's though

I always assumed they would do both in the same year. Waiting for Eric to retire before they got Wardo

 

[Daeavorn]

I knew they'd retire his number. He won a cup with us after all. One of our most well known players. Glad to hear it.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Let's f***ing go! So excited for this and so happy so many were wrong about his number.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

He's a part of the teams history. Albeit not the best. A time when Bettman's 'southern strategy' still had powerful opposition in hockey and a small market southern team like Carolina was just glad to get its transcendent star under a 2nd contract. Even if he never lived up to it and the main appeal was low expectations and country club atmosphere. Even if #leadership is frustratingly unquantifiable, because of Estaalo's unique leadership we can never question its importance in fostering a winning atmosphere.

Also him going toe to toe with Chara in 2009 was fun. Him scoring with a minute 30 left at The Rock in Game 7 to put Carolina ahead was fun. That 2009 run got me into hockey and it goes w/o saying the importance of Staal to that run, even if the era afterward was the best the franchise has seen so far and long surpassed the Staal era

 

[CandyCanes]

So deserved in my opinion. Guy is still our all time leading scorer and was a key piece in the franchises only Stanley Cup. Congrats to Staal. Look forward to his number retirement ceremony.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Hell yeah, that rocks

 

[Joe McGrath]

I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. I'm baffled why they would retire his number and not Ward's though

I agree with that based on his importance to the team and the cup run. The only thing I can think of is that he only really had the cup run and 4 seasons (w/another playoff run) where he was great.

He was a below average starter for more of his career than he was above average just looking at the numbers.

I think they are absolutely level in terms of importance to the franchise though so I’d have them both retired.

 

[raynman]

Big fan of this.

 

[CandyCanes]

Awesome lil video -


Lol at the Rosey mention in the video

 

[To Be Determined]

I'll be the first to admit I was wrong. I'm baffled why they would retire his number and not Ward's though

Mark me down as another one for the 'i was wrong' column.

I'll admit, i like seeing him sign to officially retire a cane more than i would have expected. I guess I'll just try to remember the good times, because the peaks were way the f up there.

 

[AD Skinner]

So when they raise the number up will it say “E. Staal”?

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

So when they raise the number up will it say “E. Staal”?

likely.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I agree with that based on his importance to the team and the cup run. The only thing I can think of is that he only really had the cup run and 4 seasons (w/another playoff run) where he was great.

He was a below average starter for more of his career than he was above average just looking at the numbers.

I think they are absolutely level in terms of importance to the franchise though so I’d have them both retired.

I feel like both of them were crucial to the Cup run, and both of them were dealt bad hands in the years that followed. Staal was never given much offensive help, and Ward consistently played behind a piss poor defense and with no real backup.

The difference between the two, IMO, is while Ward continued to fight through the struggles, Eric became very apathetic about it and quit giving 100%, to the point where the team let him go. And the fact that he found a resurgence in his career in Minnesota kind of shows that.

Personally, I'd put them both in the Hall, but if one had to be retired over the other, I'd have picked Ward over Staal 10/10 times.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Ward was overplayed but he wasnt a very good goalie. He had a 2 great seasons but other than that was below average. Just holds a lot of records because he was overplayed.

Ward was really bad in 06-07 and cost us a chance to do damage in the playoffs with our 2nd best team during E Staal's time here.

 

[To Be Determined]

So when they raise the number up will it say “E. Staal”?

Why? The numbers for the brothers are unique.

Though it would be funny when they retire jordo's 11 (sorry jwilli) if they have it say something like "Jo. Staal" so no one confuses j staal with best staal jared.

 

[Ole Gil]

The resurgence in Minnesota was likely going from two disaster head coaches in Muller and Peters from 2012 to 2018 and one of the shittiest owners to one of the best coaches out there in Boudreau.

15-16 was some of the stupidest hockey I ever remember seeing. And knowing what we know now about Bill Peters, it makes a lot more sense.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Ward was overplayed but he wasnt a very good goalie. He had a 2 great seasons but other than that was below average. Just holds a lot of records because he was overplayed.

Ward was really bad in 06-07 and cost us a chance to do damage in the playoffs with our 2nd best team during E Staal's time here.

You mean the rookie goalie that had Lavi's "pinch all the time" system in front of him couldn't put up good numbers? What a shock.

 

[HisIceness]

Who should the opponent be for this grandiose event?

 

[Svechhammer]

Who should the opponent be for this grandiose event?

New Jersey, obviously

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Who should the opponent be for this grandiose event?

If they could coordinate it, Minnesota.

 

[To Be Determined]

The resurgence in Minnesota was likely going from two disaster head coaches in Muller and Peters from 2012 to 2018 and one of the shittiest owners to one of the best coaches out there in Boudreau.

15-16 was some of the stupidest hockey I ever remember seeing. And knowing what we know now about Bill Peters, it makes a lot more sense.

The resurgence in minnesota was, by his own account, because he actually realized he needed to put in more effort. iirc, the offers he was fielding that offseason, after being a disappointing rental in ny, opened his eyes to what the league opinion was of him and his game at the time.

Good on him accepting it and course correcting.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

You mean the rookie goalie that had Lavi's "pinch all the time" system in front of him couldn't put up good numbers? What a shock.

its like Ward wasnt that good