Inside the Staal family drama at the Eastern Conference final - ESPN

RALEIGH, N.C. — Parents typically don't want to see their children be miserable. Which makes the Eastern Conference final of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs a very stressful time for Henry and Linda Staal.

«It's tough for them. They've been cheering for all of us all year,» Florida Panthers defenseman Marc Staal said.

«Now one of us is going to be very disappointed at the end of this. Or two of us.»

Marc, 36, and his brother Eric, a 38-year-old forward, are teammates on the Panthers. Jordan Staal, 34, is the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, whom the Panthers are facing in the conference final.

«In maybe the best- and worst-case scenario, here we are,» Eric Staal said.

It's the first time since 1992 that the NHL has had three siblings face each other in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Back then, it was Brent Sutter of the Chicago Blackhawks against brothers Rich and Ron Sutter of the St. Louis Blues.

Now, it's Staals vs. Staal.

«It's a little bit surreal, obviously. Playing as long as we have and now we both get the opportunity to get to the Stanley Cup Final,» Marc Staal said. «It'll be a lot of fun. I mean, we spent our whole careers playing against each other and then with each other. Now, the stakes are just a little bit higher.»

Eric Staal (Carolina, 2006) and Jordan Staal (Pittsburgh Penguins, 2009) are previous Stanley Cup winners. Marc Staal played for the Cup once, losing with the New York Rangers in 2014.

Different combinations of the Staals have played against each other in the playoffs before this season. Marc's Rangers met Jordan's Penguins in 2008 and then Jordan's Hurricanes in 2020. When Eric was still with the Hurricanes, his bid for a second Stanley Cup in 2009 ended in the conference final against Jordan's