Blue Jackets sign 2021 first-round pick Cole Sillinger

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Cole Sillinger to a three-year entry level contract, club General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. Sillinger was selected by the Blue Jackets with the club's second first round selection, 12th overall, at the 2021 NHL Draft.
Sillinger, 18, registered 24 goals and 22 assists for 46 points with 39 penalty minutes, five power play goals and a +5 plus/minus rating in 31 games with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League in 2020-21. He was the USHL's Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-Rookie Team and Second All-Star Team. He led league rookies in goals and power play goals (tied), while ranking second in points and points-per-game (1.48) and fourth-T in assists.

The 6-0, 197-pound center notched 22-33-55, 22 penalty minutes and a cumulative +20 rating in 52 career outings in the Western Hockey League with the Medicine Hat Tigers from 2018-2020. He posted 22-31-53 with eight power play goals and 22 penalty minutes in 48 games in 2019-20, ranking third-T among WHL rookies in power play goals, fourth in assists (tied) and points and fifth in goals.
Sillinger was born in Columbus while his father, Mike, played for the Blue Jackets. The elder Sillinger spent 18 seasons in the NHL and posted 240-308-548 in 1,049 career games with 12 different teams from 1990-2009. He registered 38-48-86 in 155 games over two seasons with the Blue Jackets from 2001-03