Dallas Stars sign Julius Honka to three-year deal
The Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill announced the signing of defenseman Julius Honka to a three-year, entry-level contract.
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“We are happy to have signed Julius quickly so that the young defenseman can continue the process of developing his game,” said Nill. “He’s highly skilled, moves the puck extremely well and is very competent at running a power play. We are really excited about his potential and think he has the tools to grow into an NHL defenseman in the near future.”
The rookie played his first season in North America during the 2013-14 campaign. As a member of Swift Current of the Western Hockey League, he played in 62 regular season games and posted 56 points, including 16 goals and 40 assists. He led all defensemen in total points and tied for third on the team with two goals during six playoff games.
Honka won a gold medal for Finland at the 2014 World Jr. Championship where he had one assist and zero goals throughout seven games. He also won a bronze medal for Finland at the 2013 Under-18 World Junior Championship, where he had one goal and three assists in seven games.
Honka was originally selected by the Stars with the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Stars director of amateur scouting, Joe McDonnell, is optimistic about Honka’s potential. He believes that Honka will need to work on his own end and that he is great at playing bigger than his 5’11” frame. He has an excellent first pass out and never hesitates to battle for the puck on the boards. Now, he simply needs to learn to fine tune his skills on the pro level.