Tigers draft Cole Sillinger in first round of WHL draft
MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Medicine Hat Tigers have selected an offensive weapon with the first pick of the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft.
The Tigers drafted Cole Sillinger from the Okanagan Hockey Academy Bantam Prep with the 11th overall pick in the first round.
Sillinger, who is currently in Philadelphia for the World Selects Invitational Hockey Tournament, said he received the news when he was on the way to the rink for a game this morning. “I was just super happy, and tried to take it all in,” he said. “It was awesome.” Sillinger notes all members of the team he is currently playing on at the tournament were selected during the draft, noting they all celebrated their selections after the game that morning. The Regina native, recorded 83 points (46 goals, 37 assists) in 30 games with the bantam team during the regular season. He added seven points (4 goals, 3 assists) in three playoff games. “The Okanagan Hockey Academy is a perfect place for development,” he said. “They recruited a great group of guys and we all get along so well. I work well with my teammates, I had good chemistry with them all year. “Our coach put me in a lot of the pressure situations, which was good, and that just developed me, helped me improve as a player, which was good.”