Size and speed are attributes coveted in defensemen. Staal provided both while winning one-on-one battles, which made him a highly effective shutdown defenseman.

The second of four Staal brothers (Eric, Jordan, Jared) to reach the NHL, Marc is the only defenseman, and he's always stood out from the crowd.

Selected by Sudbury with the No. 2 pick in the Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft in 2003, Staal made an immediate impact. After appearing in 61 games and scoring 14 points in 2003-04, Staal was named to the OHL All-Rookie Team and was nominated for the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the league's most outstanding defenseman.

In 2004-05 he was again nominated for the Max Kaminsky Trophy, and his point totals improved to six goals and 26 points with a plus-22 rating in 65 games. That convinced the New York Rangers to trade up in the first round and select Staal with the No. 12 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft.

Staal returned to Sudbury, where he was named captain to start 2005-06. After enjoying his best offensive season with 11 goals and 49 points, Staal joined Hartford for the American Hockey League postseason and had two assists in 12 games. He helped Canada win the 2005 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup and the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championship.

In 2006-07, his final year at Sudbury, Staal won the Max Kaminsky Trophy. He was also named an OHL First Team All-Star and a Canadian Hockey League First Team All-Star. Staal led Sudbury to the OHL Finals and, despite Sudbury's losing to Plymouth, was named playoff MVP after scoring five goals and 20 points with a plus-17 rating.

Staal made the Rangers out of training camp in 2007-08 and made his NHL debut Oct. 4, 2007 against the Florida Panthers. He got his first NHL goal Nov. 14, 2007 against the New Jersey Devils and finished with two goals and 10 points in 80 games. He was 12th in the voting for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top rookie.

Staal began to add more offense to his game by his third season, finishing 2009-10 with eight goals and 27 points. He appeared in his 500th NHL game on Jan. 13, 2015, becoming the 12th player to appear in that many games with the Rangers.

Staal played his 1,000th NHL game for the Detroit Red Wings on March 12, 2022, a 3-0 loss to the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome, making him, Eric Staal and Jordan Staal the first three brothers to each achieve the milestone. He signed a one-year contract with the Panthers on July 13, 2022. He signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on July 3, 2023, after helping Florida advance to the Stanley Cup Final, a five-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Staal retired from the NHL on Sept. 5, 2024, to join the Rangers as a player development assistant. His 892 regular-season games were fourth in team history at his position behind Harry Howell (1,160), Brian Leetch (1,129) and Ron Greschner (981). He played 107 Stanley Cup Playoff games, which ranked third among Rangers skaters to Chris Kreider and Dan Girardi (122).