Stars select left wing Ayrton Martino with 73rd pick in 2021 NHL Draft

With the 73rd overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Stars selected Ayrton Martino on Saturday from Omaha of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The 5-foot-11, 160-pound left wing led all USHL rookies in scoring with 56 points (18 goals, 36 assists) and paced first-year players with 16 power-play helpers in 38 games during the 2020-21 season. Furthermore, Martino was named to the USHL All-Rookie Team and was a USHL Second Team All-Star.

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Martino posted a team-high 79 points (29 goals, 50 assists) in 48 games with the St. Michael's Buzzers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) in 2019-20, a 37-point improvement from the year prior.

Though he's not all that familiar with the Stars organization, Martino has seen a familiar face at his neighborhood rink. "It's a great honor to be selected by such a great organization," he said. "I know Tyler Seguin skates at the rink near my house. I saw him a couple times going to the rink. It's a great organization, and I'm super proud to be selected by them."
[RELATED: Full list of Stars picks at 2021 NHL Draft]
Martino, who was the No. 46th-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, committed to Clarkson University for the 2021-22 season.

Scouting Report (from NHL.com):

Excellent skater that quickly gets into top gear to create separation with or without the puck. A highly-skilled offensive player that consistently makes creative plays and creates scoring chances. Quality finishing ability both off the rush with speed and in tight. Slippery and difficult to contain.
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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Kyle Shohara is the Digital Manager for DallasStars.com and writes about the Stars/NHL. Follow him on Twitter @kyleshohara.