Julius Honka made an immediate impression in his first NHL game.

The former Swift Current Broncos defenceman had an assist in helping the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild.

"I thought (Honka) played well," said Stars coach Lindsay Ruff. "He kept the game in front of him, kept it simple. He made a real nice play off the faceoff to find Ritchie. Defensively I thought he did a good job for his first game. There must have been nerves, and he was pretty excited about playing. I liked his game."

Honka played over 21 minutes in the game and added 5 shots to his assist.

He had 12 points in 16 AHL games for the Texas Stars this season.

Honka joins Justin Dowling as former Broncos to play their first NHL games with the Stars this season.