Staal brothers unite to support children, families fighting cancer
Foundation established in 2012 has raised nearly $5 million
It was the 11th time the brothers from Thunder Bay, Ontario, played in the same NHL game and the first since March 31, 2016, when Eric and Marc were playing for the New York Rangers against the Hurricanes. Wednesday was also Eric's 1,300th NHL game.
"It's funny how it works out," Eric Staal said Friday. "But it was a great time to have them both out there. We snagged a picture. I'm not huge on those kind of things, but I felt like it was right."
Eric, Jordan and youngest brother Jared played two games together with the Hurricanes near the end of the 2012-13 season, but the four Staals have never been on the same NHL team. That hasn't prevented them from working together for a cause that is personal, a cause they will be reminded of when the Panthers host the Edmonton Oilers for their Hockey Fights Cancer night at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on Saturday (4 p.m. ET; SN, BSFL, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The brothers founded the Staal Family Foundation in 2012 and have raised nearly $5 million to support children who are fighting cancer and their families. The inspiration came from the sister of Eric's wife Tanya, Tamara Stephenson, who died in in 2010 following a lengthy battle with a rare form of liver cancer.
"We all watched her battle the disease as hard as she could for three years and it was just heartbreaking to see her go through it, but inspirational as well," Eric Staal said. "She was such a strong person and had a strong faith and belief in what was next for her. So, when that happened, we knew as a group, as a family, we wanted to start something and try to make [an] impact somewhere and that's kind of where the foundation was kind of born.
"Then, we focused on children and families that are dealing with the disease and we were able to have some different events to raise as much money and awareness as we could to try to give back as best as we could."
Each year, the foundation makes donations to various children's cancer-related charities in Thunder Bay and the surrounding area.
The foundation has helped purchase equipment for the Cancer Centre at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center and for Camp Quality Northwestern Ontario, a camp where children with cancer and their siblings learn how to turn challenges into adventures. Funds have also gone to the Smilezone Foundation, which transforms areas such as hospital waiting rooms and lobbies into fun "zones" for children with toys and games, and the George Jeffrey Children's Centre, a pediatric outpatient health facility in Thunder Bay.
Before Christmas last year, the foundation made a $15,000 donation to the Canadian Cancer Society in Northwestern Ontario, and another $15,000 went to Ronald McDonald House Toronto in April.
"We're able to dole out a pretty significant amount of money each year for the rest of our lives, really, and that's something that we were looking to do when we started," Marc Staal said. "Hopefully, we can just continue to help people in our area in Thunder Bay and the entire Northwestern Ontario area just get better care because it's not very good. The need is there and we're a small part of just trying to make that better."
Much of the funding came from the Staal Foundation Open, a Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event in Thunder Bay, which raised more than $1 million over its five years from 2014-18. After ending the golf tournament in 2018, and a few quiet summers because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Staals hope to host another fundraising event next summer. Reviving the golf tournament is one of the options they are considering.
"We kind of slowed up with COVID, but we've talked about trying to get something going again," Jordan Staal said. "We still contribute to different places every year, but we want to start getting our foot back in the door of setting up another fundraiser event or something like that. But it's been very rewarding and a lot of fun.
"It's something that not only for us brothers but our families. In the future, it will go on for a long time."
Jordan, a 34-year-old forward who played his 1,100th NHL game Oct. 29, continues to host children with cancer and their families in the Staal Family Foundation suite for each Hurricanes home game. Eric, a 38-year-old forward, started that tradition during his 12 seasons with Carolina and Jordan continued it after Eric was traded to join Marc in New York on Feb. 28, 2016.
Carolina will hold its Hockey Fights Cancer night when the Colorado Avalanche visit Nov. 17.
Eric and Marc were reunited in Florida this season. Marc, a 35-year-old defenseman and veteran of 1,033 NHL games, signed a one-year contract July 13, and Eric turned a professional tryout for training camp into a one-year contract Oct. 21.
Jared, a retired 32-year-old forward, also joined the Panthers organization this season as an assistant with their American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte. That meant Eric, Marc and Jared were at training camp together, which left Jordan as the odd man out.
"Obviously, I got a great chance to play with Eric. I had a lot of fun," Jordan Staal said. "I'm still working on Marc. We'll see if that works out or not."
Regardless, the Staals plan to continue working with the foundation, and helping children with cancer and their families, long after their playing days are over.
"We're at the back half of our careers, but this something that will still be there and we'll still able to distribute funds and be able to help people that need it," Eric Staal said. "That was the goal and we've kind of gotten to that point, which is awesome, and we'll just continue to try and add so we keep going on here."
Marc added, "I feel like it's still kind of in its infant stages. But there's been a lot of joy in it for our family to be able to do it and be involved in it. It keeps us close and keeps us able to help our community, so we enjoy doing it."
