The Rise of Cleveland Monsters Forward Owen Sillinger
Photo Credit: Cleveland Monsters/Jonathan DeMuth
During the 2021-22 season, Cleveland Monsters General Manager Chris Clark was on the hunt for free agents and decided to take a deeper look at a smart player with a mean streak out of Bemidji State by the name of Owen Sillinger. The forward’s strong sense of leadership and ability to drive a play intrigued Clark, causing him to make multiple trips back to continue scouting Bemidji State. By the end of the season, Sillinger elevated his game to the point where he was considered one of the best players in college hockey. Clark couldn’t pass up the opportunity. “When I saw him at the end of the season, I was like ‘This guy. We’ve gotta get him,” said GM Clark.
Sillinger’s ability to score and captain a team wasn’t the only thing that caught the eye of Cleveland’s GM. In fact, it was his character on and off the ice that led to Sillinger being signed by the Monsters. “If you look at the family, all the brothers are the same. They all play the same way,” said GM Clark. “Different skill sets but they all are workers. That’s bloodlines coming from those guys.”
After three seasons of consistent hard work and dedication to honing his craft at the AHL level, Sillinger was awarded a one-year, two-way NHL contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets this summer. “It was exciting,” said Sillinger about signing an NHL contract. “It was a long, hard-fought playoff run there for us. Especially, coming under the wire in June. And, I think that it was a great reason why I got this opportunity to ink and sign this NHL deal.”
The cherry on top of signing a contract with the Blue Jackets is the possibility of one day being able to play with his younger brother Cole Sillinger at the NHL level. Off the ice, the Sillinger brothers are extremely close and understand what makes the other tick. “I let Cole be Cole. He lets Owen be Owen,” said Sillinger on his relationship with his brother. “I think that’s the reason why we’ve been so good together is that we allow each other to make mistakes, allow each other to have success. At the same time, we’re supporting each other through the ups and downs of each other’s careers.” This kind of support has allowed Owen and Cole to embrace who they are as hockey players and spread that confidence amongst their respective teammates.
For Owen, the good news kept on coming when he was named one of Cleveland’s Assistant Captains for the 2024-25 season. Sillinger believes part of the reason why he was named Assistant Captain and why he’s had even more success this year is because of last season’s deep playoff run. “This is my third year here and I feel like I’ve taken a step every single season,” said Sillinger. “Being a big piece of what we did in the playoff run helped myself mature over the summertime and mature with having a good solid camp there in Columbus.”
As you can see, Sillinger has the mindset to continue working hard and grow as a player. Eventually, we’ll see him rise to the NHL. It’s only a matter of time.
—--
Full interview with Owen Sillinger at Leadership Media Availability below:
