Marc Staal Retires, Already Has New Job Lined Up

After 17 NHL seasons, veteran defenseman Marc Staal has decided to hang up the skates, and has taken a new role as a development coach with the New York Rangers, the team with which he spent the first 13 years of his career.

Congratulations Marc on a great career! Thrilled to have you back and looking forward to your next chapter as #NYR Player Development Assistant. pic.twitter.com/8nv5SnlyIH
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 5, 2024

According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the 37-yeaer-old Staal will work with blueline prospects at Hartford and throughout the organization.

It's been so long that it's easy to forget how once upon a time, Marc Staal was a really good example of a player getting everything out of their talent and becoming a strong NHL defenseman.

I'm really fine and comfortable with Staal being a dude to teach younger players.
— Greg Kaplan (@BlueshirtsBreak) September 5, 2024

Staal was a first round pick by the Blueshirts in 2005 (12th overall), and stepped into the team's top four on the blueline by his second season.

After leaving the Rangers in 2020, he's played with the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and last season with the Philadelphia Flyers.

In 1,136 NHL games, Staal recorded 234 points while blocking 1,448 shots, with a plus/minus rating of +52, while playing just a tick under 20 minutes per game on average.