In addition to their father and his 1,025-game, two-time Stanley Cup resume, Stillman's older brother is Riley, the Chicago Blackhawks defenseman. Maternal grandfather Bud Stefanski was a longtime pro and junior hockey coach/scout.
Stillman was taken in the first round (29th overall) in last summer's NHL Draft. The selection came after a season where Stillman played only briefly, eight games in Denmark and then helping Canada win gold at the World U18 in suburban Dallas last spring.
With a mad sprint to the finish line on tap to make up postponed games - the Petes will play about half their schedule in the next 10 weeks - Stillman so far has 10 goals and 11 assists in 27 games. All but three contests so far with the Wolves.
The season has not always gone to plan. Stillman has missed time due to concussion protocols. He's had a bout with COVID and a finger injury, though he's missed little action as Wolves games were postponed during the former and he played through the latter. Stillman was starting to hit stride at the time of the outbreak and if he'd been given the opportunity to play a few more games, could have earned an invite to Canada's final World Junior camp. As it turned out, his name was not among those invited.
"It was kind of a wakeup call," he said, adding it has only increased his motivation for next time around. "…I trust Hockey Canada; they know what they're doing."
That World Junior was cancelled, of course, just a few days into action in Alberta. COVID, as has been a recurring theme for almost two years, continues to play havoc with hockey in Canada. The Wolves were the first OHL club to have their 2021-22 season paused, the brakes being applied in late November.
"We had 14 guys get it, most were asymptomatic," says Stillman. "Not me…I got body aches pretty bad."
Trade deadlines in Canada's junior leagues are a mini-version of what happens in the NHL. Teams in contention go for it, dealing younger players and draft picks for established ones, many of whom have been drafted by NHL clubs. The result is a handful of teams across the Canadian Hockey League's three circuits collecting a bounty of NHL prospects for the final two months of the season.
For example, a decade ago Dougie Hamilton's Niagara IceDogs had 14 NHL drafted players on it, losing in the league final to the London Knights, who also had 14.
In that sense, Stillman's move was not typical because he has one year remaining after this one. Also, the Wolves and Petes are battling for the final playoff spot in the OHL's Eastern Conference, so realistically there will not be a long playoff run for his new team no matter how well he and the Petes play over the remaining schedule.
Paradoxically, there could be more opportunity for Stillman in his current situation rather than a typical deadline-scenario. Every game is critically important to try and make the postseason and Stillman will be counted on to provide more than he would have been had he been dealt to one of the star-laden top championship contenders.
"The opportunity is here for me to take (advantage of)," he said.
Whatever transpires between now and when winter - and hopefully Omicron - releases its icy grip, there will be little rest for Stillman. He's eyeing an invite to Team Canada's summer evaluation camp for next season's World Junior in Russia and an expected Devils development camp around the same time.
"I want to finish strong here and give myself every chance to make the Devils in training camp."
