News Maker: Staal ended OHL career in style

BY SCOTT HADDOW

Former Sudbury Wolves defenceman Marc Staal saved his best for last.

From the moment the strapping 16-year-old stepped onto the ice as a raw rookie in 2003, Staal turned heads with his confident and poised play.

Drafted second overall in the 2003 OHL Draft, Staal quickly became one of the best players in the league with his acute defensive strengths and powerful skating stride. His efforts earned him attention of NHL clubs, and at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Rangers selected him 12th overall.

Staal tried out for the Rangers in 2005 and 2006, but was sent back to the Wolves to continue his development.

When he returned for the 2006-07 OHL season, he instantly made the Wolves contenders. It didn't happen overnight though. Staal and the Wolves wandered through the regular season, never gaining momentum or creating a lot of noise and buzz.

In the playoffs, Staal stepped up and went to a whole new level. One rarely seen at the Major Junior level. He wanted to make sure his final season ended with a big bang.

With end-to-end rushes and crushing body checks, Staal helped dismantled the Mississauga IceDogs in the first round in six games. He continued to dominate against the Barrie Colts, the Belleville Bulls and the Plymouth Whalers.

In 21 playoff games, Staal tallied five goals, 20 points and a league leading +17 rating.

Although the Wolves fell to the Whalers in the OHL final in six games, Staal was named the recipient of the Wayne Gretzky 99 OHL Playoff MVP Trophy. The moment was lost on Staal as he would have preferred to have won an OHL Championship.

"I haven't thought too much about it," Staal said after the game at the time. "Obviously, it's an honour."
It wasn't just the 2007 playoffs where Staal earned high praise.

He was also named the winner of the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL's top defenceman in the regular season.

Despite it being such a prestigious award, and without trivializing the award which has been won by the likes of Chris Pronger and Denis Potvin, Staal talked about how he had his total attention on beating Plymouth.

"It's a great honour to win the award," the Thunder Bay native said at the time. "It was exciting and something I'm really proud of. It doesn't really get lost in the shuffle right now. Obviously, I am focusing on what we have to do against Plymouth."

Earning a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at the Memorial Cup, which is the trophy every Major Junior hockey player wants to win, was what Staal was after.

"I would trade the trophy away without question to play for the Memorial Cup," the 20-year-old said. "A trip to Vancouver (where the Memorial Cup will be contested in 2007) is what our whole team wants and it's something we're all working hard to achieve."

The awards represented more gems for Staal to place in his hockey trophy case which includes two World Junior Championship gold medals.

He has played in three Canada versus Russia series, The CHL Top Prospects Game, numerous all star games and has been an OHL First All-Star.

This success has a hefty price, but one Staal was willing to pay in full.

"It's a lot of hard work day in and day out," the six-foot-four defender said. "It's non-stop during the season and even in the off season. There's very few days off. My coaches and teammates have helped me out a lot. A lot of things have to go right too and they have for me. I've had a great four years here and I have no regrets."

Staal was a huge force for the Wolves for four seasons, and his leadership really shone through in the post season.

"Marc played some of the best hockey of his junior career (in the playoffs)," Wolves head coach and GM Mike Foligno said. "Absolutely he did. He has shown everybody he can play in the NHL. He's not playing at the junior level...he's playing like a pro and that's why he can do the things he does and do them so well. Our team is following him."

Staal is now playing for the Rangers in the NHL. In his first 31 games, he scored one goal, four points and a +4 rating.