Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston fell just short of making Canada’s Olympic team this past winter as he solidified himself as one of the top goal scorers in the NHL.
Johnston posted a career-high 45 goals and 86 points in 82 games last season after topping the 30-goal mark in each of the previous two years.
The 23-year-old centre credits retired forward Joe Pavelski with helping develop his scoring touch, which in turn, put him firmly on Canada’s radar earlier this year.
“I learned so much from him,” Johnston told NHL.com of Pavelski. “He was so good at tipping pucks and in front of the net. It’s definitely a big reason I’ve had success on the power play.
“It’s about confidence. I mean, even hearing my name mentioned as an Olympic candidate, it helps you believe in yourself, although I always have. (Stars general manager) Jim Nill, he was on the Team Canada staff, so he kept me updated on what was going on with the selection process. He was one of my biggest backers.
“Obviously, my main focus is winning a Stanley Cup for Dallas, but playing for your country, I would love that down the road.”
After three straight trips to the Western Conference Final, the Stars’ postseason ended early with a first-round loss to the Minnesota Wild. Johnston posted four goals and six points in six playoff games.
The Toronto native has never played for Canada at a major tournament. He could be seen as a late bloomer, having posted 12 goals and 30 points in 53 games with the Windsor Spitfires in 2019-20 before COVID wiped out the following season. He was selected 23rd overall by the Stars in the 2021 draft and then broke out with 46 goals and 124 points in 68 games with the Spitfires in 2021-22.
Johnston, who played all 82 games with the Stars in 2022-23, is part of a promising crop of young Canadian players that could be prominent on the country’s roster for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.
“It’s obviously a little surprising how dominant the Celebrinis, Bedards, Schaefers are and were as teenagers,” Johnston said. “It’s so impressive how they immediately take off when coming into the league. I remember my first year, I was still in awe of everything.
“I saw it firsthand with Celebrini last year. I went to a camp in Halifax last year with him and Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon and some other top players. You could see he kept getting better and better, and that’s still the case.”
Celebrini cracked the Olympic roster and helped Canada to silver in Italy, but fellow centre Connor Bedard and defenceman Matthew Schaefer also missed out along with Johnston.
While Schaefer remains on his entry-level contract for another two seasons, Johnston is currently the bargain among those forwards. He is entering the second season of a five-year, $42 million contract that carries a cap hit of $8.4 million.
Celebrini inked a massive five-year, $94 million extension in July that will carry a cap hit of $18.8 million. Bedard signed a five-year, $75 million deal as a restricted free agent last month with a $15 million cap hit that kicks in this season.
