The Dallas Stars announced they have reached a three-year entry-level deal with forward Emil Hemming, the team’s first-round pick from June’s draft.
The Finnish presence in the Stars’ organization grew with Hemming, joining Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell.
“[The Stars] have a lot of Finns, so when it was their turn I was a little bit hoping this could be it,” Hemming said after the draft. “And yeah, it was it. Super proud to be a Dallas Star.”
The 6-2, 202-pound skater spent last season in Finland’s top professional league, Liiga. He tallied 11 points, scoring seven goals, in 40 games. Hemming, 18, is from Vaasa, Finland, and represented his country at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, leading Finland in goals and finishing third in points in five games.
“Emil’s an excellent two-way player who has a great one-timer and wrist shot,” Stars Director of Amateur scouting Joe McDonnell said. “The U18 tournament in April really solidified what we thought of him. We were very fortunate that he was there at No. 29 and look forward to his continued growth as a player.”
“Obviously a dream come true,” the Stars’ first rounder said after the draft.
The Stars hope Hemming can become the latest bullet point on the long list of Dallas’ recent success in the draft.
“He adapted very well to playing with older players,” Stars two-time GM of the Year Jim Nill said. “That transitions into being successful in his own age group, and he’s shown that.”
