JordanStaal is the 3rd member of the Staal family to be drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. In the 2006 Draft, Jordan was the second overall pick by the PittsburghPenguins. He just finished a very successful campaign with the OntarioHockeyLeague's Peterborough Petes. He followed in the footsteps of his older brothers, EricStaal (CarolinaHurricanes) and MarcStaal (NewYorkRangers) who were drafted in the 1st round before him.
Staal scored his first NationalHockeyLeague goal shorthanded against the NewYorkRangers. He scored 2 shorthanded goals against the ColumbusBlueJackets, including one on a penalty shot. This made him the first player in NHL history to start his career with 3 shorthanded goals. On the night he scored his first NHL goal, he was one of a trio of teenagers to score for the Penguins along with KrisLetang and SidneyCrosby.
Staal scored his first career NHL hat trick on February 10, 2007 against the TorontoMapleLeafs. His third goal was the game winner in overtime.
Staal finished up his rookie season with 29 goals, and was named a finalist for the CalderMemorialTrophy, along with teammate EvgeniMalkin. After the Penguins were eliminated in the first round of the NHL playoffs, Jordan joined his brother Eric and played for Team Canada at the WorldHockeyChampionships, winning a gold medal.
