Longtime NHL defenseman Marc Staal officially hangs up the skates, takes a role with the New York Rangers
Marc Staal was a consistent player in the NHL for a long time, but now the veteran has called it quits, taking up a new role with the New York Rangers.
Last season, Marc Staal spent his 17th NHL season with the Philadelphia Flyers, and now it has been confirmed that it was indeed his last, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post has revealed the veteran will hang up the skates immediately.
According to the report, Staal will return to the New York Rangers, the team he spent the first 13 seasons of his NHL career with, taking on a development role that will have him working with the defensemen throughout the organization.
Given the 37-year old played in 1,136 games throughout his NHL tenure, there's few former players better set up to help development at the next level than Staal, who never quite had the offensive game like many hoped he would develop, but he remained a consistent force throughout his career.
That career would see him tally just 53 goals and 234 total points, with his single season career high sitting at 29 back in 2010, but with the physical game and the leadership he brought, he was invaluable on any team he played on.
Back in 2005, the Rangers took a chance on the Ontario native with the No. 12 overall pick, and while he wasn't able to bring them a Stanley Cup, he's beloved by the organization and their fans, and now at 37-years of age, we wait to see what his future holds as a potential coach in the NHL. For now though, he starts that journey with the Hartford Wolfpack and other teams in the organization, in a role that few former players are set up better to succeed in than Staal.
| POLL | ||
Does Marc Staal have a future in the NHL as a coach? | ||
| Yes | 175 | 74.8 % |
| No | 59 | 25.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
