LOS ANGELES -- Moments after Jordan Staal captured the Stanley Cup in June 2009 -- joining older brother Eric in that special club -- Marc Staal got a message from Jordan.

"He said, 'You're next buddy.' That was pretty special," Marc Staal said.

It would be special in so many ways if it happened over the next fortnight, because it would mean a third Staal family member would raise Lord Stanley's trophy and it would be the ultimate bookend to what began as a horrifying experience more than a year ago.

It was March 5, 2013, that Staal took a slapshot to his right eye; his instant reaction still painful for anybody to watch to this day, his legs kicking in panicked agony.

To have traveled all the way to a Cup finals in that short time span makes what is happening now all the more incredible.

"Obviously with Marc's situation and the adversity that he's had to deal with the last two years, physically and mentally, it's even more rewarding to see him play as well as he is and to see him be a huge contributor for their team," big brother Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes told ESPN.com on Thursday. "There were some scary moments, some scary times, for him personally. I know he had some dark days, some tough days. There were ups and downs for a little while, not knowing what was going to happen and how his eye was going to respond to certain treatment, to certain drops. It was definitely really hard. I'm just amazed at how he's handled all that and gotten through it, and back to playing as well as he is. It would be huge if they could pull it off and get it done, it would be so rewarding for him."