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RALEIGH, N.C. - Eric Staal has a lot to be proud of.

Eighteen years in the NHL, recording 1,063 points in 1,365 career games; six All-Star nominations, including MVP honors in 2008; and one of just 30 hockey players all-time to join the exclusive Triple Gold Club - winners of the Stanley Cup, Olympic gold and IIHF Men's World Championship gold in their career.

Those figures alone paint a picture of one of the game's greats, a special talent who enjoyed a special career. But in the context of the Carolina Hurricanes, he's nothing short of a legend, a talismanic figure whose name could be written on the very cover of the team's history book.

Staal ranks first in Canes history (since relocation) in seven different categories: goals (322), assists (453), points (775), games played (909), power-play goals (105), power-play points (252) and hat tricks (13). He's one of just two players in team history to be named to one of the NHL's end-of-season All-Star teams, and, in the 27 seasons since the Hurricanes relocated to North Carolina, he's the only member of the team to record 100 points in a single season.

His impact on the ice was, and is, palpable. He meant everything to a budding franchise still trying to find its footing in a city that had never held a major-league professional sports team before, becoming its first homegrown star as the Hurricanes captured the Stanley Cup in just his third pro season.

But his legacy is built on more than goals, points and even championships. It's also built on a generation of fans who fell in love with the game of hockey, thanks to him.

"Coming here as an 18-year-old - obviously, the team had been here for a couple of years prior - but I feel like really over those first five, six, seven years of my career, (hockey) really grew," he said after his number was raised to the rafters in Raleigh on Sunday. "Obviously, winning (the Stanley Cup in 2006) helped, and then the '09 run, and I think even coming this weekend, we had a little reception thing before coming here and there were tons of people, I don't know how many of them had pictures of them when they were little, and now they're all big, and they're just like 'You're the reason why I got into hockey.'

"To hear that is very humbling, but it's also like, the team was here and I was the guy that was out there the most, and they probably saw me and kind of fell in love with the game because of how I played, which is super humbling to experience, listening to people's stories and why they love the game now. To be part of that, is super, super cool."

That love manifested in many ways. Even early on, you saw it at home games, with throngs of people arriving early to party in the parking lot - a staple of the southern sports scene, but previously unheard of in hockey. You could see it in rinks around the state, with kids clad in 12s, 17s, 10s and 2s, eager to follow in the footsteps of their new favorite players.

And now, for the first time in North Carolina, you see it in a new generation, growing up with a team not only looking to create history, but with history of its own to celebrate.

"Hockey is such a great game and such a worldly game. For it to grow and continue to grow like it has, we're moving on to generations of Canes fans who were passed-down fans. And it just keeps continuing on. That's what's cool and that's what creates a phenomenal fanbase. It's just neat to have been a part of that growth early on and to now see it continue is really cool," said Staal.

Staal's legacy aligns and intertwines with that of other former Canes. Four numbers now hang above the ice at Lenovo Center as he joined former teammates Rod Brind'Amour (17), Ron Francis (10) and Glen Wesley (2) on Sunday, with Cam Ward and Justin Williams rounding out the Hurricanes Hall of Fame and countless others still beloved by the Carolina faithful.

"We're an organization that, (now), it's not new, you know? We have a history now, we've got players like that now that we can celebrate who have had great, great careers, and I think that says a lot about what's gone on here," said Brind'Amour. "(Eric) was a key part of establishing that tradition and the culture and everything that we talk about as being a Carolina Hurricane, so really proud to be a part of that with him."

Fans who attended Sunday's ceremony were treated to a reunion of several familiar faces from throughout Staal's tenure in the City of Oaks. Some tasted the success of a Stanley Cup victory or Final appearance, some arrived in the wake of those triumphs, but each of them was key to "establishing the tradition," often with Staal entrenched as their leader.

"I wouldn't say it was all me, it was our group of guys," said Staal. "That comes with Roddy too and the Cup team guys. There's so much history there and joy of getting together. I was a part of this franchise for a very long time. I played with a lot of great players, some players that had higher success in other places, but still have a soft spot for here - guys that are coming back here to play (in the alumni game). To have that alumni group is special. That matters with a culture and with an organization, I think. I think it's only going to get stronger and better as time marches on."

The path from highly touted prospect to NHL superstar is well-trodden, but never guaranteed. Back in 2003, Brind'Amour was simply hopeful that the kid Carolina plucked from the Peterborough Petes would bring the juice expected from a second-overall selection.

And whether it was the 100-point season in 2005-06, leading the playoffs in scoring that fateful year, or being named an alternate captain in just his fourth year with the club, it didn't take long to see just how special Staal would be.

"It's too long (ago) to remember, to be honest, but the hype was there so we knew 'Okay, he better be good!' That was kind of what we were all hoping, and he was," said the Canes' bench boss.

"It was like "Okay, he's going to be something.' You knew, just after you met him and being around him, you love it when they're good people, right? They care, and he was humble and hardworking - it was like 'I don't know how good he's going to get, I don't know where it's going to go, but you're going to like having that guy in your room for however long you can,' and we did."

As Staal won over his teammates, he also electrified the Carolina community. No matter the circumstance, Caniacs loved No. 12, and the feeling was mutual.

"I think it's the people (that make North Carolina special). They're just genuine people," said Staal. "Any fan you talk to, any person that comes up to you - even when we stunk, I had people come up to me and be like 'I really enjoy watching you, I appreciate your effort.' Like I had numerous people who would come up to me throughout the city when I was playing, when times were great and then when times weren't. And I think that's where you feel that as a player, you're connected there, and it's just a great community. That's why people love living here, that's why guys like playing here. It's a cool place to play, it's one of the best spots for sure."

While Staal enjoyed the highest highs in Hurricanes history, he also endured some of the franchise's toughest years. He was named captain of the team midway through its first of nine consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance and served in that role for the ensuing six campaigns.

The team struggled, and Staal had to shoulder the weight of captaining what was, at that point, a sinking ship for the latter years of his Carolina career.

"Now, being retired and done (playing), you can kind of look back on your time in places, and my memories of being here are so overwhelmingly positive that it really takes away from some of those (tough) times. But there were some times that were really, really hard, too. So I'm aware of that, but I think the highs were so significant that it really outweighs those times when it was really tough," he said.

After stewarding the club for more than half of his professional career at that point, Staal left the Canes at the 2016 trade deadline, joining the New York Rangers for their playoff push that spring. He went on to suit up in shades of green, blue and even red throughout his remaining career, making two more Stanley Cup Final appearances with Montreal (2021) and Florida (2023).

But his prestige in Raleigh remained, and his younger brother, Jordan, stepped up as a leader in the Carolina locker room. Eager to finish what Eric started, Jordan was eventually named captain and has now held the title for seven seasons, just like his older sibling.

"Super proud (of Jordan)," said Eric. "We were here together for a couple of years and it was challenging at times, for sure, but I knew his character and what kind of player he was. You need to have the right people to be able to continue to pull in the right direction, and obviously, me leaving left a lot of it to be on his shoulders, and it was still challenging for him for a couple of years after I left. But I'm super proud of how they've come through those times, obviously with the help of Rod, but a lot of the guys they have - they just have a great core of a culture of how to win and be successful, and Jordo is a massive, massive part of that."

Even as Staal's lasting impressions of his own playing career in Carolina sparkle with the sterling silver of the Stanley Cup, the moments tinged with muted gray still served as building blocks for his iconic career and made him who he is today. And for that, he's grateful.

"No question, there were a few years there where I put a lot of pressure on myself as a team, as a leader and we just struggled and it was really hard. I tried to do my best to be as up-front and honest as I could, because in those moments where you're a leader of a team and you're with a group, you can't say everything you feel all the time. You have to learn to speak the way you should within your team. But it helped me grow as a player and as a person, those times, and I'm grateful for them and met so many great people and teammates as well. Some of them are here celebrating, too," said Staal.

"But overall, the memory I have of being a Hurricane is of winning and being a champion. I won a Stanley Cup - I only won one, it's not easy to win, and I won it here. There's nothing better than that."