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Staal to join AHL's Wild, hoping for Olympic spot

Thunder Bay forward has not played professional hockey this season, but is on Hockey Canada's list of potential Olympians with the NHL bowing out.
Eric Staal MTL
Eric Staal of the Montreal Canadiens poses for his official headshot for the 2020-2021 season at the Bell Centre on April 8, 2021 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)

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.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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