BEIJING — Eric Staal has no idea what's next.
The captain of Canada's Olympic men's hockey team stepped up to lead his country into the Beijing Games after the NHL withdrew from the event two months ago because of COVID-19 concerns.
Staal had been skating in Minnesota waiting for another shot after making it all the way to last season's Stanley Cup final with the Montreal Canadiens.
The 37-year-old jumped at the chance to both wear the Maple Leaf and hopefully boost his chances for a contract back in North America.
With the Canadians now eliminated from the Winter Olympics after falling 2-0 to Sweden in the quarterfinals Wednesday, he isn't sure where his career goes from here.
"I don't know … I don't know," Staal said when asked about his playing future. "We'll see, but thoroughly happy that I was here. Thoroughly enjoyed this experience with our guys.
"Competing again out there was a treat, as it always is representing Canada."
Staal skated as his team's No. 1 centre for its five games in Beijing, registering a goal and three assists, but it's unclear if that will be enough to garner NHL interest.
The native of Thunder Bay, Ont., has 441 goals and 1,034 points in 1,293 regular-season games over a 17-year career. He's added 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists) in 83 playoffs contests, won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and helped Canada capture Olympic gold in 2010.
But the veteran centre, a potentially low-risk depth acquisition for a contender, put up just 13 points in 53 games last season before adding eight more during Montreal's playoff run.
Staal, who had a brief AHL stint before heading to China, said not knowing if he'll get another shot wasn't on his mind in Beijing.
"You're focusing on the moment of what this was and where we were at," he said. "Take time to decompress and go from there."
Staal will now wait to see if the phone rings.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2022.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
