Eric Craig Staal (born October 29, 1984 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. He is the older brother of Jordan Staal, who is playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marc Staal, who is playing for the New York Rangers, and Jared Staal, who was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but is currently playing for the AHL's San Antonio Rampage.

Staal was selected second overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, behind Number 1 pick Marc-André Fleury. He had played for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL the year before, scoring 98 points in 66 games.

He played his first season in the National Hockey League right after being drafted. In 2004, Staal played in the YoungStars game as part of the 2004 NHL All-Star festivities.