For twelve years, Eric Staal parked his car in the north parking lot at PNC Arena, entered near the loading dock, and took a right turn to enter the Carolina Hurricanes' locker room. It's a walk he probably made more than 1,000 times between games, practices, team events, treatments and other obligations.
Thursday, for the first time, he'll turn left.
"It will be a different feeling walking into the building," Staal said on a media conference call on Tuesday prior to his first game back at PNC Arena on Thursday night against his former club.