Eric Staal is making a comeback.
The 37-year-old has inked a professional tryout contract with the Iowa Wild, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, the team announced on Thursday.
Staal, a 17-year veteran of the NHL, spent four seasons in Minnesota between 2016 and 2020. He most recently played in Montreal, where he helped the Habs go on a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
According to Ken Campbell of The Hockey News, Staal’s plan is to spend a couple of weeks with the Wild in the AHL getting up to speed before joining Team Canada for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Back in 2018, free-agent veteran Chris Kelly inked a PTO contract with the AHL Belleville Senators before joining Team Canada at the Pyeongchang Olympics. He was named team captain, helped Canada win bronze, and then signed an NHL contract with the Anaheim Ducks.
There’s no word on whether Staal plans to return to the NHL after the Olympics are over.
Staal represented Canada at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and won gold, chipping in with six points over the course of seven games.
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