Wyatt Johnston scored his 19th power play goal of the season Wednesday night against the Seattle Kraken, breaking Mike Modano’s Dallas Stars franchise record of 18, set during the 1993-94 season. The goal, a deflection off a Miro Heiskanen shot in the second period, extended Dallas’ lead to 4-0 in a game they would ultimately win.
The 22-year-old center’s record-breaking goal came after he had already given the Stars a 1-0 lead early in the first period with a well-timed deflection. Johnston now has 31 goals on the season, continuing a streak of 30-plus goal seasons for the third consecutive year. He was drafted 23rd overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2021 NHL entry draft and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the team in September 2021.
Although Johnston’s 19 power play goals are a new franchise best for a single season, the overall Stars franchise record for power play goals in a season remains with Dino Ciccarelli, who scored 22 during the 1986-87 campaign.
Following the game, Johnston spoke about the significance of breaking Modano’s record, as well as the team’s strong performance coming out of the Olympic break and the physical nature of the contest against Seattle. The Stars’ victory over the Kraken continued a positive momentum for the team.
Johnston, a Toronto native, finished his junior career with the Toronto Marlboros in 2018-19, recording 94 points in his final season. He was then drafted by the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL Priority Selection and led the OHL in scoring during the 2021-22 season with 124 points in 68 games.
