The 6'4" Stojanov had crafted a fearsome reputation in junior hockey, and impressed scouts by pummeling the much-hyped Eric Lindros in a fight during their draft year.
In 1992–93, Stojanov was traded midway through the season to the Newmarket Royals for Ryan Vanden Bussche, Mike Prokopec and a draft choice.
At the conclusion of the season, he turned pro and joined the Hamilton Canucks, Vancouver's American Hockey League affiliate, and impressed by scoring four goals in his first four games.
However, he sustained a shoulder injury that required major surgical reconstruction, and he missed almost the entire 1993–94 campaign as a result, and never again showed the offensive touch he had earlier in his career.
For the 1995–96 campaign, Stojanov cracked the Canucks' roster full-time as the team's enforcer, appearing in 58 games and recording a single assist.