Logan Stankoven took the next step in his career last week.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone.
The Stars’ second-round pick in 2021, Stankoven continues to defy critics and set new expectations, and he did that once again in helping Team Canada win the gold medal at the World Junior Championship. Stankoven finished fourth in the tournament in scoring with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games, and set up the overtime game-winning goal in the gold medal game.
It was a solid performance for the 19-year-old.
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“He played outstanding,” said Stars director of player personnel Rich Peverley. “I think you look at his career, and he always seems to fight through adversity and get better. He started a little slow in this tournament, but he really stepped it up as the games got bigger.”
Defying expectation has been a part of Stankoven’s DNA. Listed at 5-foot-8, 170 pounds, there were many who believed he might be too small for the NHL. That’s one of the reasons he slid to Dallas at pick No. 47. However, he is showing that his strength, his smarts and his heart make him a force to deal with.
Stankoven tallied 104 points (45 goals, 59 assists) in 59 games for Kamloops last season and was named the Western Hockey League’s top player. That’s one of the reasons he has confidence that he can play in the NHL this season.
“Last year as an 18-year-old, I don’t think it was a realistic goal to make the NHL, but this time around, a full season in junior hockey, and I thought I progressed pretty well and learned a lot, and that helped me a lot,” Stankoven said at development camp this summer. “I want to be playing with Dallas next season and put my best foot forward. If not, I’ll go back to Kamloops and we get to host the Memorial Cup, so either way will be great.”
Stankoven and Wyatt Johnston both fall under an agreement between the NHL and the CHL that dictates players of their experience need to play in the NHL or go back to junior hockey and can’t play in the AHL. Because of that, each could get a nine-game tryout during the NHL’s regular season before the Stars have to make a final decision.
All of that said, the next couple of months are going to be pretty important to both.
“It’s a great situation for both of those guys,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “You either make the NHL roster or you go back to a great situation in junior hockey, so I think they need to just play their best and see what happens.”
The next step for each is to play in the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Mich. in September. Then, it’s on to training camp and the preseason schedule. Johnston and Mavrik Bourque (who is 20 and is eligible to play in the AHL) will join Stankoven in Traverse City. The decision was made for each of those two to skip the World Juniors so they could heal up from their junior seasons.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Nill said. “You look at the history of that tournament and it’s been a great stepping stone for a lot of players. Jacob Peterson, Thomas Harley, (Mattias) Janmark before that, a lot of players have really played well and gained confidence in Traverse City. You’re playing against everybody’s best prospects, so it’s great competition.”
Stankoven has proven he likes to play the best. His work at the World Juniors was in-line with his career, as he got better as the tournament went on. When the intensity was highest, he played his best.
“He likes the pressure,” Peverley said. “You saw that in the playoffs and then you saw that in this tournament. Him and Kent Johnson fed off of each other. They’re really smart players. I think Logan is an underrated playmaker, and he has a heavy shot, so he can do a lot of things to help his team.”
In addition to fighting the stigma of being small, scouts also pondered if Stankoven could play center in the NHL before his draft year. He ended up being one of the top faceoff men in the World Juniors and also had some great assists.
“I think naysayers were questioning whether he could be a center at the next level, and I think he’s shown that he can do that,” Peverley said. “To me, he’ll prove people wrong, so let’s give him the opportunity to do that.”
That opportunity has already started, and it should continue over the next couple of months.
“Every day you show up to the rink, you need to put in 100 percent effort,” Stankoven said.
“Every day you need to be ready to go. Every game. It only gets harder as you move up into the AHL or NHL. Pro hockey is even harder. That’s the thing I learned most the past couple of years.”
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.
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