Mike Sillinger
NHL journeyman who set records for most teams played for and most trades.
Michael John Sillinger (born June 29, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 17 seasons. Sillinger played for 12 teams and was traded nine times during his NHL career, both of which are league records (tied with Brent Ashton for the latter).
Quick Facts
- Position
- Center
- Primary affiliation
- Detroit Red Wings (early 1990s)
- Shot
- Left-handed
- Role
- Two-way; penalty-killing forward
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 a 2004 second-round pick on the same day, without playing a game for Dallas.
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.
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