The Dallas Stars have inked their first-round selection of the 2024 NHL Draft as the team announced they have signed winger Emil Hemming to a three-year entry-level contract. The contract is scheduled to start during the 2024-25 NHL season but the Stars organization has not indicated where Hemming will suit up next season.
Hemming is coming off his first professional season with TPS of the Finnish Liiga where he suited up in 40 games and scored seven goals and 11 points. The young forward also spent 13 games with TPS U20 in the U20 SM-sarja where he scored 11 goals and 18 points. Including all the offensive prospects available in the 2024 NHL Draft, Hemming arguably featured the best possible shot from the forward group.
The Vaasa, Finland native was electric on the international stage for Team Finland last year as he scored seven goals and 11 points in nine total contests for Team Finland’s U18 club and posted two goals and eight points in eight games for Team Finland’s U20 roster. Hemming should return to TPS for the 2024-25 season but may feature with the organization’s AHL club in Texas towards the end of next season.
The Stars still have a deep forward group up front for the next couple of years but it is aging. Forwards Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Matt Duchene, and Evgenii Dadonov are well into their 30s and Dallas may have decent timing with Hemming’s eventual debut.
Hemming is a right winger I thought
Hemming is a wing. Sheesh.