Despite being 21 years old, Cole Sillinger has already accumulated 220 career games in the NHL, the most of any player selected in the 2021 NHL Draft.
He earned a spot on the Blue Jackets at the age of 18 and has been a foundational piece in the organization ever since. Throughout his young career in Columbus, he has scored 32 goals, recorded 74 total points and has been heavily featured on the Jackets’ penalty kill.
TRAINING CAMP HOME, PRESENTED BY OHIOHEALTH
Sillinger met with BlueJackets.com on last week after a CBJ practice. The conversation has been edited for length.
How does it feel to get back into action, to get to playing some hockey again?
“It's what we train all summer for, to try to become better hockey players, to do what you can to make the team have more success. It's just nice to be back with the guys.”
What do you do during the summer on or off the ice to reset?
“This summer I kind of focused on everything. A lot of speed, skill and situational work. Off the ice, making sure the body's feeling good and that I can do everything I can in the gym without taking away, not pulling the rope both ways. So I moved out to British Columbia. It was a new opportunity for me. There are a lot of great guys to train with. So it was a good summer.”
Do you play any other sports in the summer?
“I surf a lot behind a boat, play a lot of golf, a lot of pickleball and tennis. I have two brothers, and we get a good game going and all those types of things."
How does it feel having your brother, Owen, here in camp?
“It’s something that we never take for granted when we're rolling out or whatever, we're looking across at each other. We're in an NHL gym, and it's what we've dreamed of to hopefully play together in the NHL one day. He's got a great opportunity for that. He's working extremely hard. He's a super focused and dedicated guy, so we'll see here, but pretty confident."
How has your role in the locker room developed in the past four years?
“I think when you have - I’m a younger guy, but been here for some time now - been through the adversity that this organization has faced, it's just about being myself and finding who I am a little more and just being able to be that in the locker room. I think we have a very tight-knit group, a very close group. So, I mean, when guys need to lean on each other, it's for sure, not easy. There's a lot of trust there."
Do you feel yourself becoming more of a mentor to the new draft picks?
“Absolutely. I know what it's like to kind of come in and have new management, new coach and expectations. I think now for them, it's just being able to realize the situation that you're in an NHL locker room, and to not take that for granted, but also to realize what got you there. Take a deep breath and just do what you can do, and that's just play hockey and be a good person and be a good teammate and try to be the best pro you can be.”
What has worked for you in previous training camps to solidify a spot in the NHL?
“I think it's just trusting in yourself, trusting in your abilities and never getting too high or too low. The coaching staff and the management, they're trying out new combinations all the time and trying to see what works and who has chemistry with who and whatnot. Just bring your best foot forward every day. Come and learn with a smile and determine to make the team, or to move up in a role or change your role and just stay focused and stay happy as best as you can I guess.”
