Jason Dickinson plans to have “a National Hockey League summer,” as Toronto Maple Leafs’ head coach Mike Babcock often says, and the local native has his sights set on cracking the opening night roster of the Dallas Stars in October.

The 21-year-old forward enjoyed a superb rookie season with the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars with 22 goals and 31 assists in 73 games, and following a memorable NHL debut late in the year in Dallas in which Dickinson scored on his first shift, his focus is now on becoming a regular for the 2016-17 campaign.

“That’s next on the agenda,” said the 6-foot-2, 200-pound 2013 first-round pick of the Stars, taken 29th overall in the NHL Draft.

“It’s just a matter of bringing things up to the NHL level — speed, stamina, defensive play — everything. (The Stars) didn’t tell me to work on anything specific. I’m just going to do my best to be ready for training camp.”

The former captain of the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm concedes it will be difficult to find a spot amongst the Stars’ veteran-laded forward group, although the brief audition in the big league in April no doubt left Dallas GM Jim Nill and head coach Lindy Ruff impressed.

Dickinson, with only a few hours notice that he’d be suiting up for the parent club as an emergency recall on April 7 to replace Jason Spezza, scored in the first period on his first shot on goal after a goaltending gaffe by Calvin Pickard of the Colorado Avalanche.

Linemate Valeri Nichushkin retrieved the loose puck and passed out front to Dickinson, who had an empty net in front of him to deposit a backhander in the Stars’ 4-2 victory.

Months later, the novelty hasn’t worn off.

“Everyone I’ve seen since I came home for the summer, that’s the first thing they want to talk about,” laughed the prospect tied for first with the best shooting percentage in the league.

“It was nice to get a taste of life in the NHL, but it’s not going to make the next game any easier.”

His first year at the professional level took some getting used to, however, with the move to Cedar Park, Texas, which is located just outside Austin and a couple of hours south of Dallas, meaning that most road games require getting on a plane and not a bus, as he was accustomed to after four years in the OHL.

“It was a real adjustment and I struggled with it a bit at first, but on the other side of it, you get to create some good friendships and that made it a lot easier,” he said.

“You’re living on your own in an apartment, where I’ve got to cook and clean for myself and there’s a lot more independence with the travel because we’re gone away from home for long periods of time.”

Dickinson returns for a second year to serve as an instructor alongside NHL senior director of hockey operations and local native Rod Pasma for the fourth-annual Pasma’s Hockey Development camp, which  runs for two weeks at the Mold-Masters SportsPlex in Georgetown.

The camp’s first week runs from Aug. 8-12 for rep players and week two is devoted to skill development for all players.

The goalie camp runs for both weeks and will be overseen by Montreal Canadiens’ property Michael McNiven, who his heading into his third season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack.

Also instructing at the camp again this year is Connor Brown, outgoing captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, who recently signed with the ECHL’s Quad City Mallards.

Back as an instructor for a fourth year is defenceman Liam Clare, a former Georgetown Raider now on scholarship at Sacred Heart University.