The Stars keep betting on skill, and Emil Hemming looks like the next name in that line.
Dallas has built a real track record of drafting forwards who can score. Jason Robertson came in at 39th overall in 2017 and later piled up 117 points, with 48 goals and 69 assists, in his final year of Major Junior hockey before becoming the team’s leading scorer.
Wyatt Johnston went 23rd overall in 2021 and answered with a 124-point Major Junior season, then added 41 points, including 14 goals and 27 assists, in 25 playoff games. Mavrik Bourque, picked 30th in 2020, and Logan Stankoven, taken 47th in 2021, also turned into high-end producers in Major Junior and the AHL.
That pipeline has helped keep the Stars near the top of the NHL, and the organization is hoping Hemming becomes the next success story.
“We have focused more on skill in recent years because when it pays off, you really help the franchise,” said Director of Amateur Scouting Joe McDonnell. “You can find support players in trades, but the skill guys are harder to come by. That’s why we have tried to get as many as we can.”
Hemming, a lanky Finnish winger selected 29th overall in 2024, has given Dallas plenty to like. After moving to Barrie in the OHL the following season, he posted 63 points, with 26 goals and 37 assists, in 46 games during his second year there. He took another step in the playoffs, finishing with 28 points, including 15 goals and 13 assists, in 21 games.
For the Stars, that kind of progress matters because it helps them keep building while still weighing the possibility of major contracts for top players.
“You need all of it, and that’s why development is so important,” Stars GM Jim Nill said. “Our number one job is finding players, and we work at it every day. So when you can get players to be at their best, that’s what this week is all about.”
Hemming has now spent two years in the Stars’ system and is at his third development camp. He said the experience has been valuable throughout the process.
“It’s awesome to be back here,” he said of development camp. “It’s a huge help to come here and see where I go from here.”
The next step appears to be a full-time move to the AHL after he got a five-game look there last season. Now 20 and listed at 6-1, 205, Hemming said he feels more physically ready and has a better feel for the North American game.
“I think it showed me that I can play there,” Hemming said of the AHL toe dip. “Those five games opened my eyes that by working hard I can do that.”
Development camp is still part of the grind, and Hemming knows the areas he needs to sharpen. He said the biggest difference between the OHL and AHL was pace and strength.
“Probably speed the most,” Hemming said when asked what the biggest difference was between the OHL and AHL. “It was pretty similar to the playing style, but they are stronger in the AHL and the battle is more. But it helps to play against them.”
Dallas has seen different paths work for different prospects. Roope Hintz took longer to adjust after coming from overseas, while Robertson, Stankoven and Bourque made quicker jumps from Major Junior. McDonnell said that variety is part of the organization’s strength.
“I think what’s great about our development staff is they tailor things for each individual,” McDonnell said. “Each player gets the chance to work at his own speed, and I think that’s one of the reasons we have been successful.”
Hemming also has a built-in reminder of how the draft is only the beginning. His younger brother Oscar was drafted 14th overall by Columbus in the 2026 draft last weekend, and Emil was there to support him. The experience reinforced the lesson he’s already living by.
“I told him it doesn’t matter where you go in the draft, it’s how hard you work afterward,” Hemming said. “The draft is a nice accomplishment, but then the work starts.”
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