Staal 'ecstatic' to join Hurricanes, older brother

Jordan Staal would much rather play with his brother than against him.

Traded on his wedding day in June, he became teammates with older brother Eric Staal on the Carolina Hurricanes.

"We knew the family thing was a very intriguing part of this whole thing," Jordan said Friday at a press conference, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. "To play against two brothers in the NHL is pretty awesome, but to play alongside your brother, both in the primes of our careers, is very, very exciting. As a family, for me and Eric especially, we're ecstatic to have this come together as it did."

Staal, 23 years old, was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2012 NHL Draft in exchange for Brandon Sutter, Ryan Dumoulin and a first-round pick. Days later, Staal signed a 10-year, $60 million contract with Carolina.

"I'm obviously looking for the opportunity to expand my role and be more of an elite player," Staal said. "I know the opportunity is here and obviously there is pressure. Hopefully I can have a big year and a big career here and try to be the elite player I can be."

The trade was the first big acquisition of the Hurricanes' offseason. Friday, the team introduced forward Alexander Semin, who signed a one-year, $7 million contract as a free agent.

"Again, it comes under the pressure thing, but I know Alexander can really do some damage and play some great hockey," Staal said. "For myself, I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing and hopefully keep getting better. … Hopefully we can make an impact. Hopefully make the playoffs and do some damage."

Jared Staal, 21, is a prospect in the Hurricanes system. But Jordan did not seem to expect he and Eric, 27, would get to be teammates with 25-year-old brother Marc anytime soon.

"Marc's a Ranger and he loves New York and loves playing there," Staal said. "Who knows down the road. But he's comfortable where he is right now."

Jordan and Eric expect to be comfortable, too, when the season starts.

"I remember the first question when I came in the League was, 'Is it weird to play against your brother?' And it was," Staal said. "Is it going to be different playing with Eric? It will be. … I'm sure it will be all good things. It'll be a really fun experience."