The forward prospect helped Canada finish first at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, assisting on the Golden Goal scored by Kent Johnson at 3:20 of overtime in a 3-2 win against Finland on Saturday. Stankoven tied for fourth among all players with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games in the tournament.
It's just another in a growing list of accolades for the 19-year-old in the past year.
Stankoven was selected by the Stars in the second round (No. 47) of the 2021 NHL Draft. He was named Western Hockey League Player of the Year after finishing the 2021-22 season third in the league with 104 points (45 goals, 59 assists) for Kamloops. He won the WHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player after accumulating 16 penalty minutes.
He also had a 19-game point streak from Dec. 8-Feb. 19 (39 points; 17 goals, 22 assists), second-longest in the WHL last season.
This season, Stankoven said he'd like to add "NHL player" to his resume.
"I want to make the team right out of main camp," Stankoven said. "We've got a great team back in Kamloops, and my junior team is going to be able to host the Memorial Cup this season. But at the end of the day, I want nothing less than being able to play with Dallas this season."
Stankoven (5-foot-7, 170 pounds) said he knows that he will have to use all the tools at his disposal to stand apart from other prospects in the Stars system.
"I was born that way and everyone's different in different ways," Stankoven said about his stature. "I have to be a little bit quicker and a little bit faster in every aspect of the game to keep up with the bigger guys. For me, it's just not being afraid of going into the corners and going to the net, and kind of have that self-believe that 'hey, I can play with the bigger guys.'"
Neil Graham, coach of Texas of the American Hockey League, worked with Stankoven at the Stars development camp in July. He said he sees that mentality on the ice already.
"He has a confidence when he walks into the room and onto the ice that's noticeable, and that translates into his game," Graham said. "We all know he's an explosive player with a heavy shot but a quick release, and he plays the game fast."
To make it to the NHL, Graham said Stankoven needs to continue to play to his strengths.
"I think one of the biggest things with young players in general is their play away from the puck," he said. "Learning some of those pro habits, some of the details, it's not to be thinking defensively, it's so you're in the right position away from the puck to ensure you get that puck on your stick again quicker.
"He's a player that wants the puck on his stick, and I think as we see his game evolve and mature, a lot of that just comes with repetition and time."
