Former Windsor Spitfires forward a Star heading into NHL playoffs

Wyatt Johnston, former Spirfires forward, with be playing with the Dallas Stars heading into NHL playoffs. Pictured in Windsor, Ont. on Monday, April 17, 2023. (Bob Bellacicco/CTV News Windsor)

Former Windsor Spitfires forward Wyatt Johnston is excited to be on the Dallas Stars team playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It’s what you work for all year,” said the rookie forward who had a good first year with the Stars.

Johnston scored 24 goals which tied him with Matty Berniers of Seattle as the NHL’s top rookie goal scorers.

“It’s not easy to do what he does,” said head coach Peter DeBoer, a former Spitfire. “Very few guys come out of junior at that age.”

DeBoer points to Jason Robertson who led Dallas with 46 goals and 109 points this season. He was playing junior hockey in Niagara at the same age as Johnston.

Joe Pavelski, who recently hit the 1,000 games played plateau, was in college hockey at that age.

“The fact that he’s playing on our second line and on the powerplay and scored 20 goals in this league is really impressive,” he said.

Johnston potted 46 goals last season leading the Windsor Spitfires to the OHL final where they lost to Hamilton in seven games. His 124 points were tops in the Canadian Hockey League. Johnston’s goal heading to his first NHL training camp was to stick.

“That was my goal for me to make the team this year and play in the NHL,” said Johnston, who finished with 42 points. “I’m really happy with the way things turned out.”

While Spitfire fans hoped their star would come back for one more year of junior hockey, DeBoer liked what he was seeing in training camp. He decided to keep the player the team drafted 23rd overall in the 2021 NHL Draft.

“He’s been exceptional. I’m sure for the people in Windsor it might not be a surprise but not many players come and do that at the NHL level. He’s a really gifted kid,” said DeBoer, who feels Johnston started getting better once he believed he belonged in the league. “That’s all he was needed. He needed to just realize he belonged in this league and then he took off.”

The Stars are on a six-game win streak heading into their first round series against Minnesota.

Dallas finished one point behind Colorado for the Central Division title and three points behind Vegas for the Conference title.

Johnston says he’ll be leaning on his deep playoff run a year ago in Windsor heading into his first NHL playoffs.

“It was a great experience for me last year being able to go to the finals and experience a long playoff run and I’ll try to take that with me this year,” he said.