Marc Staal (born January 13, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL) after having played over 1,000 regular season games with the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. He is the second-oldest of the Staal brothers to play in the NHL. Of the four brothers, Marc is the only defenceman, as well as the only one who has never played for the Carolina Hurricanes. Playing career Junior Staal grew up playing minor hockey in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, and was a minor hockey teammate of future NHLers Tom Pyatt, Ryan Parent and Taylor Chorney with the Thunder Bay Kings AAA program. Staal was selected second overall in the 2003 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection by the Sudbury Wolves after a solid season with the Minor Midget Kings. Staal played junior hockey from 2003 to 2007 for the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL, where he was the team's captain, and led the Wolves to their first trip to the OHL finals in 30 years. He was drafted by the New York Rangers in 2005 NHL Entry Draft in the first round, 12th pick overall. While most NHL scouts had projected Staal to be a top-ten selection, he fell in the draft and the Rangers, seeing Staal available even after the 11th pick was made, made a draft day trade to move up; in exchange for the Atlanta Thrashers' 12th overall selection, which they obtained from the San Jose Sharks, the Rangers dealt the Thrashers both its 16th and 41st picks. Staal played for Team Canada in the 2006 and 2007 IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, bringing home gold medals both times. He was named the tournament's top defenceman in the 2006 Championships. Marc and younger brother Jared played together in Sudbury during 2006–07 season. On May 7, 2007, the OHL announced that Staal was the recipient of the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL's Most Outstanding Defenceman for the 2006–07 season. This prestigious award was previously won by future NHL players Chris Pronger, Al MacInnis and Denis Potvin. On May 13, 2007, although his Sudbury team lost the OHL Championship Series to the Plymouth Whalers in six games, Staal was named the winner of the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award, which goes to the League's post-season most valuable player (MVP). Professional New York Rangers On October