Sillinger leads Sask. prospects ranked for 2021 NHL Draft
Regina's Cole Sillinger is projected to be a mid-first round pick at Friday's NHL Entry Draft.
Sillinger scored 22 goals and racked up 31 assists for a total of 53 points in 48 games with the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2019-2020 season.
Sillinger opted to play south of the border during the 2020-2021 season with a total of 46 points over the course of 31 games as a member of the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede. His play also earned him the league's Rookie of the Year award.
Although his time in Sioux Falls was primarily motivated by the uncertainty over the WHL season during the pandemic, Sillinger said he valued the opportunity.
"If there was no COVID, I probably would've never went down to the USHL. I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason, I am glad that I was able to go experience a new league, new organization and meet new people," Sillinger said.
Willie Desjardins, the general manager and head coach of Sillinger's major junior club, said his high level of play south of the border is not surprising.
"I liked the fact that he wanted to go down and play, he wanted to prove he should be picked in the draft and hopefully picked high," Desjardins said. "You wouldn't believe how many teams have called me on him and how many teams have said he's one of the best interviews they've had in the last ten years."
The final ranking from NHL Central Scouting projects him at the 10 slot for North American skaters, drawing a possible parallel to where his father, Mike Sillinger, was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings with the 11th overall pick in 1989.
"Our draft class is kind of wide open after those first couple picks, so it'll be interesting to see what happens," Sillinger told CTV News ahead of the draft. "If I do end up happening to go 11th right where my dad went, that'd be pretty special and would for sure be some bragging rights."
Other names in this year's draft familiar to Saskatchewan hockey fans include Saskatoon-born netminder Carter Serhyenko, Yorkton product Ryder Korczak and Saskatoon's Nolan Allan.
The 2021 NHL Entry Draft is set to begin Friday at 6 p.m. Saskatchewan time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
Russia reports downing 5 Ukrainian military balloons in Kyiv's latest apparent war innovation
Russian air defences downed what authorities described as five Ukrainian balloons overnight, the defence ministry in Moscow said Thursday, as the sides kept up long-range strikes that have featured heavily in what has largely become a war of attrition.