Riley Stillman – Player Series
Riley Stillman – Player Series
The Oshawa Generals drafted Riley Stillman in the fourth round of the 2014 OHL Draft out of Peterborough. Playing for the Petes AAA program, he had 30 points in 36 games. When Stillman committed to the Generals in August of 2014, General Manager Roger Hunt noted that “he’s got a high hockey IQ and proved at training camp that he belongs here.”
Stillman grew up around the NHL, and he will get his shot to be drafted to the NHL in June’s Entry Draft. The son of former NHLer Cory Stillman, Riley has seen his dad make stops in six different NHL cities. “It was surreal to be honest. Him playing and me seeing him play every day, he was my biggest idol. I got to meet people I never thought I would be able to meet like Eric Staal, Sidney Crosby, and Bobby Orr.” said Riley Stillman about growing up around the NHL. “I started skating at about 18 months growing up in Calgary. I thought everyone had a dad playing in the NHL.”
Throughout his career, Stillman has shown his high hockey IQ and continues to improve as an all-around defender. The smooth-skating defender can break the play out of his end, or fire a shot from the blue line. “My passing and hockey sense are my strongest areas, followed by my shot,” said Stillman.
After his draft year, Stillman went on to play for the Cobourg Cougars of the OJHL. In his lone Junior A season, he recorded 24 points in 46 games with the Cougars. His strong play as a 16-year old earned him honors as an OJHL Second Team All-Star. “(The) speed is different, (the) caliber of players is different, and the overall quality of the game is a lot more elite,” said Stillman about the transition to the Generals.
So far in 2015-16, Stillman has been a steady force for the Generals on the back-end. “It was a hard transition at the beginning, but the games I played last season helped me prepare for this year,” said Stillman. He sits third on the team in plus/minus, as well as in rookie scoring. The defenseman has registered eight points in 38 games played this season. The 2016 NHL Draft-eligible defender will look to follow in his father’s footsteps as he prepares for the draft. When asked about the pressures of the NHL draft, Stillman said “I try not to think about it, knowing that the more I think about it, the more difficult it will be to get drafted. In my mind, I’m just going to go out every day and play my heart out, and if I get drafted, that’s great, but if not I know I have next year.”
The Oshawa Generals will be solid on the back end for the next couple of years with Stillman patrolling the blue-line. “I want to be a top-two defenseman on the team and eventually take on a role as a leader. I’d like to be a guy the team can rely on down the stretch or important games,” said Stillman.
