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Matt Stajan Biography
Hockey career
Minor leagues
Stajan attended St. Timothy's Elementary School and Iona Catholic Secondary School. As a young hockey player, Stajan played for such minor organizations as The Toronto Red Wings and Mississauga Senators.
He was drafted 79th overall by the Belleville Bulls in the 2000 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) priority selection. After scoring 33 goals and 52 assists with the Bulls, he was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft with the 57th overall selection. Stajan played one game in Toronto at the end of the junior campaign, in which he scored his first NHL goal on his first shot against the Ottawa Senators' goalie Martin Prusek.
NHL
At the age of 20, Stajan was able to make the Maple Leafs' roster. In his first full NHL regular-season, he was selected to the NHL All-Star Young Stars team as a forward after Atlanta Thrasher's Garnet Exelby had to step out of the game due to an injury. Stajan had two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in the game.
While the 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to the lockout, Stajan played for the St. John's Maple Leafs, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
During the 2005–06 season, Stajan tied Marián Hossa for first place with eight shorthanded points (four goals, four assists). On September 13, 2006, the Leafs signed Stajan to a two-year deal worth $1.75 million.
On July 7, 2008, Stajan re-signed with the Leafs inking a two-year, $3.5 million deal.
During the 2008–09 NHL season, Stajan passed a career high on an assist with his 40th point of the season in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on February 19, 2009.
Stajan wears the uniform #14 which he selected in honour of his uncle Robert. Robert wore #14 during his basketball career before dying of cancer at the age of 22. Leafs legend Dave Keon, who played for the Leafs during their last Stanley Cup victory in the 1966–67 NHL season, also wore #14. Keon distanced himself from the franchise during the Harold Ballard era, and held a grudge because his number was never retired. Stajan stated that if the Leafs wanted to retire the number, he would immediately surrender it.
During the 2008–09 season, he scored a career high in points, leading the team in points for most of the season until Jason Blake passed him near the end of the season.
On January 31, 2010, Stajan was traded along with Jamal Mayers, Niklas Hagman and Ian White to the Calgary Flames for Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjöström and prospect Keith Aulie.
