THUNDER BAY – Signs are pointing toward Eric Staal playing in his second Olympic Games.
First reportdd by Hockey Unfiltered’s Ken Campbell on Wednesday, the Iowa Wild on Thursday confirmed the 37-year-old Staal, who has not played this season, has signed a professional tryout offer with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League.
The goal, Staal told the veteran hockey writer, was to get into game shape and hopefully earn a spot on the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team.
The Thunder Bay native won gold with Team Canada at the 2010 Games.
A 17-year NHL veteran, Staal has 441 goals and 1,034 points in 1,293 games, split between Carolina, the New York Rangers, Minnesota, Buffalo, and Montreal, a team he helped lead to the Stanley Cup final last summer.
Staal had a goal and five assists for Canada in seven appearances at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.