With the 29th selection of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Dallas Stars have selected Emil Hemming from TPS of Liiga
About Emil Hemming
After a strong start to his season with the TPS U20 team, Emil Hemming found his way to the big club and played a total of 40 games with the Liiga TPS team. While his offensive numbers did not seem to jump off the screen, he was tasked with playing on the team’s fourth line for the majority of the season. He did produce from the bottom line, tallying seven goals and four assists on the season, and is expected to play a more prominent role for the organization in the 2024-25 season.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft: Live Tracker
He did end up playing with the U20 team for their playoff run and showed off his offensive prowess and promise, producing at almost a point-per-game pace, tallying 10 points in 11 games played for his team. He played for the Finnish team at both the U18 and U20 World Junior Championship and played well, tallying a total of eight points between the two tournaments while playing in 12 games total.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Bar none, Hemming’s best asset is his shot. He’s got a quick trigger in open space, being able to send an effective shot on net while having defenders pressuring him. His one-timer is extremely threatening, especially on the man advantage. Through two games of the Under-18 Men’s Worlds, Hemming has three power-play goals using his one-timer.”
“Beyond his shot, his skating is very impressive. He can accelerate to top speed extraordinarily quickly, using his powerful strides to create momentum at the drop of a dime. His agility is noticeable as well, with his edge work placing as some of the best in the entire draft class. For a power forward, I’m not sure I’ve seen better mobility out of any draft-eligible prospect in recent years.”
Full player profile can be found here.
How This Affects the Stars’ Plans
Hemming should slot in fairly high in the forward pipeline the Stars have, in part due to the fact that many of their prospects have been making their way to the NHL the last few seasons. His strong offensive game, led by his shot, will help him stick out and move up fairly quickly when he does make the move to North America. It may take a couple of extra seasons for Hemming to make his way to the Lone Star state and suit up for the Stars, but he may end up being the next prospect that GM Jim Neil has drafted who makes an impact for the organization in a few seasons.
