Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Cole Dillinger was born May 16, 2003, in Columbus, Ohio. He is a forward in the NHL.

Sillinger was selected 11th overall by the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft. He debuted and appeared in 4 games with the Tigers in 2018–19, tallying two assists. Sillinger was fourth among points for the Tigers in 2019–20, scoring 22 goals and 53 points in 48 appearances with the team.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the return of the Western Hockey League, the Tigers agreed to send Sillinger to the Sioux Falls Stampede in the United States Hockey League on a one-year loan agreement. During the 2020–21 season, Sillinger led the Stampede in points, garnering 24 goals and 46 points in 31 games played. He earned 2021 USHL Rookie of the Year honors by a unanimous vote of league general managers for his performance and was elected to the first all-USHL rookie team and all-USHL third team.

The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Sillinger as the 10th-best North American skater eligible ahead of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. On July 23, 2021, Sillinger was selected 12th overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2021 draft.

On March 13, 2022, Sillinger scored his first NHL career hat trick with the Blue Jackets against the Vegas Golden Knights.