Sillinger's hat trick the latest bright spot in a standout rookie year

There was a moment as the hats rained down on the Nationwide Arena ice -- and there were a lot of them, requiring a fair amount of time to pick up -- that Cole Sillinger could enjoy the moment.
18-year-olds don't score hat tricks in the NHL very often - more on that in a second - but that's exactly what the rookie did in Sunday night's 6-4 Blue Jackets win over Vegas, scoring the ninth, 10th and 11th goals of his NHL career in a span of 14:33.
So as toques, ballcaps and beanies quickly filled up the ice, Sillinger was more than able to take a second to let it all sink in.

"It didn't really feel real," Sillinger said. "Just kind of going forward the second period there, I was kind of, not really zoned out, but like, 'Oh my God, what just happened.' But yeah, it's pretty cool."

Just how rare is the accomplishment? His father, Mike, played 17 years in the NHL, skated in 1,049 games and never scored three goals in a regular-season contest (though he did have one in a 2004 playoff game). Sillinger is now the fifth rookie in Blue Jackets history to notch a hat trick, and the second youngest player in team history to do so, with only Nikita Filatov's 2009 hat trick coming from a younger player.
In fact, since 1991-92, there have been only seven hat tricks scored by 18-year-olds in the entire NHL. Three of those were accomplished by current teammate Patrik Laine during his rookie season of 2016-17 in Winnipeg, another is Filatov's, and the other two belong to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011) and Jordan Staal (2007).
"To get a hat trick at 18 is absolutely ridiculous," linemate Max Domi said. "I did see some stat on the bench -- I can see the screen for the live broadcast (on television) and they were talking about how Patty had three when he was 18. I was like, 'Are you serious? You had three hat tricks at 18?' I was like, 'Silly, you have some work to do, kid.'
"But that's unbelievable. That's special."
Drafted 12th overall in the 2021 draft, Sillinger came in billed as a complete center who could play at both ends of the ice while also boasting a high-level shot that was thought of as one of the best in the draft.
He certainly has lived up to all of that as the season has gone on, but as with just about any player who is the youngest in the league, becoming a consistent player on the offensive end of the ice has taken time.
But it came together Sunday night as Sillinger clearly clicked in an elevated role, as he injury to top center Boone Jenner moved him up into a trio that featured scorers Oliver Bjorkstrand and Max Domi. Sillinger first got on the board when he tied the game at 2 in the first period as Bjorkstrand hustled onto a puck and fed him all alone in front of the net, and Sillinger's second goal in the middle period gave the Jackets a 4-2 lead as he tipped Bjorkstrand's shot past goalie Logan Thompson.
Just 1:50 after that goal, Bjorkstrand sprang his two fellow forwards on a 2-on-1, with Domi saucering a pass across the ice for Sillinger to one-time through Thompson's legs from the right circle.
Sillinger entered the game with just one assist in the previous seven games while averaging 9:52 of ice time in that span. There had been some talk that Sillinger had hit a rookie wall -- his previous high in games played in a season was 48 with Medicine Hat of the WHL 2019-20 -- but that also was viewed as a normal part of the adjustment process to the league.
"As a young guy in the league, there will be a lot of games where you don't as much opportunity as you're used to, but for me I just try to contribute any way I can," Sillinger said. "It was nice to get a couple of bounces (against Vegas) and have a little more offense than usual. I think I had a couple of good looks, even the ones that didn't go in, so it's always nice to get myself in those areas. When you're playing with Bjorky and Domes, they're really good passers, really good playmakers. I thought it was a good night overall."
What has impressed head coach Brad Larsen the most is that even when Sillinger has found it tough to get on the scoreboard, his effort level hasn't waned.

"We always forget that he's 18 -- at least some people I think do," Larsen said. "He's going through the grind of a season, and he's a kid. But he senses an opportunity. Some guys when they see the opportunities, they get excited. It's amazing what some guys can do. Some guys freeze. He doesn't seem to be that kid.
"Even when he's gone through struggles, he gives me work. He gives me a competitiveness. He gives me the things you can hang your hat on, and to me that's about being a pro."
On the season, Sillinger now has 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points while playing in 57 games. Along the way, he's won 48.2 percent of his faceoffs, and he's also earned the trust of Larsen to the point that he has killed penalties and played with the Blue Jackets holding leads late in games.
Sillinger also has earned the respect of his teammates for the way he's approached his rookie season.
"He's such a good kid," Domi said. "He's so humble and he works so hard. You see him after practice, early in practice. It's fun to see. He's gonna have such a long career. Obviously it's nice to get a hat trick and get rewarded, but I think he's just growing as a teammate, as a player every single day, and you can see it right in front of your eyes. I'm just so happy for him."
What might be even more exciting is what is to come, and Larsen can't wait to see it.
"I know what he hangs his hat on right now is his work ethic and his competitiveness," the head coach said. "I will not let that slip from him because that's what's gonna elevate him to, I think he can be a special player. A real special player. He's 18 years old. There's a long ways to go, but this is a special night for him and his family, and all the hard work he's put in."