Kamloops product Logan Stankoven celebrates after his first NHL playoff goal to help Dallas to a 4-1 win over Colorado on Saturday night/via Dallas Stars

Kamloops hockey product Logan Stankoven stopped by the Radio NL Studios for a sit-down interview with Jon Keen to reflect on his first season in professional hockey.

The 21-year-old Kamloops native is back home after his Dallas Stars were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL’s Western Conference Final.

Stankoven’s season consisted of 90 games – 47 with the AHL’s Texas Stars along with 24 regular season and 19 playoff games with the Dallas Stars – where he recorded 33 goals and 79 total points.

One of Stankoven’s most memorable moments came during the handshake line following the Western Conference Final when Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid relayed a message to him.

“He just said, ‘hey you’re a great player and we have a lot of respect for you,'” Stankoven recalled. “It’s quick but I thought that was classy of him. He didn’t need to say anything like that he could have shook my hand and keep going.”

“For me, it’s a guy you look up to growing up and when he says something like that, it’s pretty cool.”

Over the course of the 2023-24 season, Stankoven was named the AHL’s Most Outstanding Rookie. He also earned spots on the AHL’s All-Rookie Team and the AHL First All-Star Team, despite having spent the last three months of the season in the NHL.

He also recorded his first career NHL goal and assist on 21st birthday in February, just days after he made the jump to the NHL.

Stankoven – the former Kamloops Blazers captain – also discussed what it was like to play his first year playing hockey away from home, what he learned, and which NHL veteran took care of him during the season.