VANCOUVER — Marc Staal seems comfortable with flying slightly under the radar as he gets far less media attention than two of his brothers did during their NHL rookie campaigns.
Maybe having composure at a young age, 20, has something to do with his demeanour.
The New York Rangers' defenceman was a remarkable plus-4 for goals scored at even strength when he was on the ice during his first 40 big-league games. His average ice time was 17 minutes 54 seconds. And Staal had more takeaways than giveaways, 21-13.
Those are commendable numbers for a first-year professional who was asked last season by the Rangers to play a fourth year of major-junior hockey in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves.
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- Carolina Hurricanes
- New Jersey Devils
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Vancouver Canucks
- Martin Brodeur
- Sidney Crosby
- Patrick Kane
- Paul Mara
- Marc Staal
- Jonathan Toews
Staal is the third of the brothers from Thunder Bay to make it to the NHL, with his older brother, Eric, 23, a scoring star with the Carolina Hurricanes. His younger brother, Jordan, 19, is a forward with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Eric already has a Stanley Cup ring and Jordan expects one soon playing on the same team as scoring star Sidney Crosby.
One department Marc Staal leads in is gold medals from the world junior championships, having played for Canada in the two previous tournaments.
Marc got his first gold medal two years ago in a win over Russia at General Motors Place, where the Rangers played the Vancouver Canucks last night in New York's first visit in more than five years.
"I feel a little more comfortable having played here," he said yesterday after the morning skate. "The last time I was here was with Canada and it was a lot of fun. It was unbelievable and something that obviously I'll never forget."
Staal has made the transition to the Rangers' defence almost seamlessly. He quietly has gone about his business with two goals and seven points in the first half of the season, often playing with veteran Paul Mara as a blueline partner.
"I try and learn every day and every game," Staal said. "I'm just trying to get better as quick as I can.
"It's a different style of game. In junior, you could carry the puck a lot more and do a lot more things with it. Here, you've got to know where everybody is before you get the puck and make the right play quickly. It's definitely an adjustment."
The Rangers selected Staal 12th overall in the 2005 NHL entry draft. At 6 foot 4 and 205 pounds, he has the rangy frame NHL scouts look for, along with efficient skating.
Staal scored his first NHL goal on Nov. 14 against Martin Brodeur during a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
"Marc just continues to improve," Rangers head coach Tom Renney said. "He's a 20-year-old defenceman that keeps the game simple.
"He's got lots of composure and a real good skill set that will only get better as he gets stronger. He makes very good decisions."
Most of the NHL rookie attention has been directed to the Chicago Blackhawks' twosome of forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, both offensive stars with splashy numbers.
Special to The Globe and Mail
