Mike Sillinger

Lore & Background

Sillinger was originally drafted 11th overall in 1989 out of the Western Hockey League (WHL) by the Detroit Red Wings. He began his NHL career in Detroit before continuing on to play for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators and New York Islanders. On July 22, 2003, Sillinger was traded to the Dallas Stars with a second round draft choice in 2004 for Darryl Sydor, but was then dealt again from Dallas to the Phoenix Coyotes for defenceman Teppo Numminen on the same day, without playing a game for Dallas.

In Their Own Story

The Reunion Arena lights hummed their low, electric buzz above the ice. Sillinger crouched at the blue line, stick planted, watching the play develop in the neutral zone. The crowd noise was a wall of sound—half cheering, half groaning—but in his head it was just geometry: angles, timing, the weight of the puck. A forward from the other team carried it up the wing, and Sillinger read the hip shift a half-second before the pass came. He turned, extended the blade, and the puck slid harmlessly into the boards. No highlight. No replay. Just a quiet, clean play in a game the Stars needed to control. He skated back to his position, tapped his stick on the ice, and waited for the next one. That was the job. That was Dallas in the early '90s: not the flash, but the grind.

Reader's Guide

Sillinger played full seasons with only Detroit, Vancouver, Columbus and New York. He won a Calder Cup championship in 1992 with the Adirondack Red Wings while leading the playoffs in scoring as an AHL rookie. Internationally, he represented Team Canada on two occasions, winning a gold medal at the 1991 World Junior Championships and captaining his country at the 2000 World Championships. After retirement, he joined the Edmonton Oilers as Director of Player Development from 2009 to 2014, then began working in a scouting and recruitment role for the Regina Pats in 2014.

Did You Know?

• Sillinger was traded nine times during his NHL career, a league record tied with Brent Ashton.
• He played for 12 different NHL teams, an NHL record.
• Sillinger was traded to the Dallas Stars on July 22, 2003, but was immediately traded to the Phoenix Coyotes the same day without ever playing for Dallas.
• He scored his 1,000th NHL game on November 1, 2007, versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.