RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has acquired center Jordan Staal from the Pittsburgh Penguins. In exchange for Staal, Carolina has traded center Brandon Sutter, defenseman Brian Dumoulin and its first-round pick (8th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft to the Penguins.

“Jordan is an elite two-way player who possesses a rare combination of speed, size, scoring ability and defensive responsibility,” said Rutherford. “For his young age, he has a wealth of NHL experience, including winning the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009. And he is obviously a natural fit for our team in joining our captain, his older brother Eric.

“We want to thank Brandon Sutter for his time in Carolina. He has been a very good player for our team, and we wish both Brandon and Brian the best as their careers continue.”

Staal, 23, completed his sixth NHL season in 2011-12, posting career highs in assists (25) and points (50), and a career second-best 25 goals, despite playing in just 62 of Pittsburgh’s 82 regular-season games. The Thunder Bay, Ont., native added six goals and three assists (9 points) to lead the Penguins in scoring in their six-game, first-round playoff series against Philadelphia.

In six NHL seasons with Pittsburgh, Staal (6’4”, 220 lbs.) has scored 120 goals, earned 128 assists and posted a plus-53 plus/minus rating in 431 regular-season games. The Penguins have qualified for the playoffs in each of his six seasons, and he captured the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009. In 73 career Stanley Cup playoff games, he has scored 23 goals and earned 13 assists (36 points). The Penguins selected Staal in the first round, second overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He is the younger brother of Hurricanes captain Eric Staal.