“Who is Antonio Stranges?” you ask.
Antonio Stranges is a prospect forward with the Dallas Stars AHL affiliate Texas Stars.
Born on February 5, 2002, in Plymouth, Michigan, Stranges is a 21-year-old left wing and center who stands at 5’11” and weighs 180 lbs. He was drafted 123rd overall by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level, $2.68 million contract with the Stars on March 1, 2022, effective in the 2022-23 NHL season.
Stranges previously played for the London Knights, where he finished the 2021-22 OHL season with 84 points (31 goals and 53 assists) in 60 games with a plus-seven rating and six penalty minutes. At the time of his signing with the Dallas Stars, he ranked second on the London Knights’ roster with 51 points, tied for second with 18 goals, ranked third with 33 assists, ranked fourth with five power-play goals, and tied for eighth in the OHL and first in London, Ontario, with five game-winning goals.
Stranges made his professional debut with the Texas Stars in Cedar Park, Texas, during the 2020-21 AHL season. He posted one assist in nine games with a minus-two rating. He returned to the London Knights the following season, 2021-22, where he posted 84 points, played part of 2022-23 with the Idaho Steelheads in Boise, Idaho, where he posted 12 points (four goals and eight assists) with a plus-eight rating in 12 games, and played part of 2022-23 with the Texas Stars, where he posted 12 points (four goals and eight assists) and a plus-five rating in 19 games.
Stranges has yet to make his NHL debut, but he has been described as a benchmark for elite ice hockey skaters in the 2020 NHL Draft class. He has a dynamic offensive presence on the ice. He has had a wishy-washy professional hockey career so far. He faced several challenges, like an undisclosed injury and limited playing time last season. Despite his challenges, he remains a top prospect in the Dallas Stars organization as he has shown offensive potential and promise in the team’s rookie development camp. His signature “mohawk” ice skating style took the world by storm.
If he can stay healthy, Stranges can have a breakout season with the Texas Stars in 2023-24. After all, he has a significant amount of offensive potential.
