The 2024-25 NHL season may be over for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but in a year full of transition and hard lessons, one silver lining shone brighter than the rest: Cole Sillinger has officially arrived.
After two up-and-down seasons that saw him bounce between lines and roles—and even stints in the AHL—Sillinger seized his opportunity this year and made it impossible for the coaching staff to keep him off the ice. With a career-high in goals (21), assists (28), and ice time, the 21-year-old center not only proved he belongs in the NHL—he’s proven he belongs at the core of this Blue Jackets rebuild.
A Breakout Year Born from Patience and Perseverance
From training camp, there was something different about Sillinger. His skating looked sharper. His vision seemed clearer. And most importantly, his confidence was finally back after a rocky sophomore slump. Head coach Pascal Vincent saw it early and rewarded him with top-six minutes—and Sillinger never looked back.
“It’s all about growth,” Sillinger told reporters after the team’s final game. “I had to learn what it meant to be a pro, how to handle the ups and downs. This year, I just stuck with it—and the game started to come to me.”
Locking Down the Middle in the Capital of Hockey Grit
Center depth has long been a weakness for Columbus, but with Sillinger anchoring the second line alongside a rotating cast of wingers—including rookie standout Jordan Dumais and a revitalized Yegor Chinakhov—the Jackets finally saw stability. His two-way game matured as well, with Sillinger posting a +6 rating and logging regular penalty-kill minutes.
“He’s become the kind of player you win with,” said Vincent. “He’s responsible, he battles, and he wants to be a difference-maker every night.”
More Than Just a Player—A Face of the Future
What makes Sillinger’s emergence so meaningful isn’t just the numbers—it’s what he represents. For a fanbase starving for consistency, identity, and hope, Sillinger is the embodiment of all three. He’s young, he’s tough, he plays with edge, and—most importantly—he wants to be here. In a league where loyalty is rare and rebuilds are long, that means everything.
As Columbus looks ahead to the draft and another offseason filled with questions, one thing is certain: they’ve found a cornerstone in Cole Sillinger. The Arch City is still a work in progress, but now it has a heartbeat—and it wears number 34.