Stillman
in July, the club's second first-round selection. Defenseman Luke Hughes was taken 25 picks and a few hours earlier. Two picks, the first made in a feverish atmosphere of the club's draft party, the second near the end of the opening round once fans had gone home.
Both
already playing in the NHL. In fact, Stillman's hockey
bloodlines are three generations deep
. Father Cory played 1,025 NHL games and won the Stanley Cup with both the Tampa Bay Lightning (2004) and Carolina Hurricanes (2006). He is now an assistant coach with the Arizona Coyotes and was previously head coach of the Wolves.
Stillman's maternal grandfather is Bud Stefanski, who was a New York Rangers draft pick. Chase's grandfather had a lengthy career as a player in the minors, as a junior coach in Canada and Maple Leafs scout. He's now retired and living in Canada's cottage country.
The benefits of his background are obvious, but Stillman pointed out that
family ties can be a double-edged sword
, in an effective way, especially as the youngest sibling.
"They could be pretty hard on me," he quipped, in reference to his older brother and father.
Stillman has good size (6-foot-1, 180-plus) and an even better, tenacious work ethic. The puck often leaves opponents' sticks in his presence, usually on to his blade. He plays well in traffic at both ends of the ice.
Those qualities, along with a sneaky skill set
, mean that Stillman could be a useful middle-six forward at the NHL level.
Stillman got a good vibe from the Devils last spring but didn't have a definite feeling he was headed here before hearing general manager Tom Fitzgerald call his name.
"I had multiple interviews (but) you never really know for sure."
Stillman cited the organization's youthful direction and three Stanley Cups as two reasons why he's excited to end up where he has, which was sealed with his signing a contract soon after the July draft. He showed well in training camp, where he got into an exhibition game and is in frequent contact with Devils player development staff.
"I think I will see them this weekend in Hamilton," he said, of Saturday's scheduled tilt against the Bulldogs.
Going in the
first round is always nice but there was no clear consensus it was going to happen for Stillman
. Following mock drafts can make anyone dizzy, lest those with a personal stake in it.
Stillman gave himself a chance of a Friday night selection with a solid performance for Team Canada last spring at the World U18s in suburban Dallas, where Canada won gold.
"I had my suit ready," he said of the anxious wait on July 23.
Stillman, born in St. Louis while his Dad was playing for the Blues, is a citizen of both Canada and the U.S.
"I'm the only American and the only righty," in his family, he said. You could almost feel him wink over the phone.
Back in 2019-20, Stillman's rookie OHL season was halted and then cancelled in March 2020. He had 34 points (13G-21A) in 58 games to earn a spot on the OHL All Rookie team. He was pre-selected for Team Canada a year later to play in the U18s despite playing just a short spell in Denmark.
"It was an unbelievable experience," he said. "…It was an honor to be picked for the team. Looking back now, once (we assembled for camp) you could tell we had a special group."
The World Junior (U20) is the next step up hockey's food chain. There is little consensus whom Hockey Canada brass will invite to its final selection camp in about a month. The organization is not unlike a lot of scouting departments around the NHL: playing catchup evaluating players because of last year's unconventional season.
Stillman, while appreciating the opportunity last spring in Texas, is focused on earning another one.
"That's my (immediate) goal right now," he said.
