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Cole Sillinger was drafted 12th overall in 2021 by the Columbus Blue Jackets and has been in the NHL since then.
Sillinger made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season and has skated in 143 games over two seasons. Although he is making a name for himself, he also has gone viral for his girlfriend.
The 20-year-old American-born Canadian is dating Tate McRae, and the couple have reportedly been together since 2021.
McRae is a Canadian singer whom Cole Sillinger admitted in an interview was his celebrity crush. The two began talking and went Instagram official in 2021, as she posted a photo of him on their vacation.
McRae started her career serving as a voice actress for the "Lalaloopsy" franchise from 2013 until 2015. She then began dancing competitively while still singing, she sang on stage with Justin Bieber at a 2016 concert in Calgary.
That same year, McRae appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and was also a contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance."
McRae's music career took off in 2017, years after she started posting on YouTube. In 2019, McRae signed with RCA Records and released her debut EP in January 2020.
Since her debut album, McRae released the single "You Broke Me First," which became her first song on Billboard Hot 100. It was also the longest charting song released by a female artist in 2020 on the Billboard Hot 100, at 38 weeks.
She has since had two headlining tours and is set for her third tour this fall.
Cole Sillinger's NHL career
Cole Sillinger, meanwhile, is entering his third NHL season and is projected to be on the third line. Sillinger is a center and will be behind Adam Fantilli and Boone Jenner.
In his rookie season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Sillinger skated in 79 games and put up 31 points. He followed that up with just 11 points in 64 games, as he couldn't replicate the success he had in his rookie season.
Cole is also the son of longtime NHL player Mike Sillinger who played for 12 teams and played over 1,000 games in the league.
