Jack Robert Hillen (born January 24, 1986) is an American former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
defenseman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
.
Undrafted
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
, Hillen played in the NHL for the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...
,
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
,
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
and
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
.
Playing career
Minor/collegiate
Hillen grew up in
Minnetonka
Minnetonka ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. A western suburb of the Twin Cities, Minnetonka is located about west of downtown Minneapolis. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, and played youth hockey in the Hopkins Youth Hockey Association. Before entering
Colorado College
Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory. The college enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduates at its campus. The college offer ...
, Hillen played high school hockey for the Academy of Holy Angels in Minnesota.
During his senior year at Colorado College, he won the Defenseman of the Year and first team all
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's ice hockey-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated a ...
(WCHA). After playing four seasons with the
Tigers ice hockey team, graduating with a
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in
economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...
, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...
on a two-year contract.
Professional
Hillen made his NHL debut on April 3, 2008, with the Islanders in the second-last game of the
2007–08 season against the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
. He then scored his first career point in his second NHL game, on April 4 and also against the Rangers, recording an assist on a
Miroslav Šatan
Miroslav Šatan (; born 22 October 1974) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey right winger, who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), five in the Tipos Extraliga, and three in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Playing ...
goal.
On January 26, 2010, whilst playing in a home game at
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, east of New York City. The Long Island venue is approximately east of the eastern limits of the New York City Borough of ...
against the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
, Hillen took a direct hit to the face from an
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin ( rus, Александр Михайлович Овечкин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals ...
slapshot. Hillen was able to leave the ice under his own power with a trainer attempting to stop the bleeding. He was later transported to a hospital, where he had surgery for a broken jaw and tooth damage; he missed six weeks of action as a result of the injury.
On August 8, 2011, Hillen signed as a free agent on a one-year, two-way contract with the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
. During the
2011–12 season, Hillen contributed with six points in 55 games for the Predators.
On July 2, 2012, as a free agent for the second consecutive year, he signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Washington Capitals. After suffering an injury on the opening night of the
lockout
Lockout may refer to:
* Lockout (industry), a type of work stoppage
**Dublin Lockout, a major industrial dispute between approximately 20,000 workers and 300 employers 1913 - 1914
* Lockout (sports), lockout in sports leagues
**MLB lockout, lock ...
-shortened
2012–13 season, Hillen later returned to help in the Capitals resurgence, posting nine points in 23 games. On April 2, 2013, he signed a two-year, $1.4 million contract extension with Washington.
On October 3, 2013, a hit from
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
forward
Lance Bouma
Lance Gordon Bouma (born March 25, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently playing with the Malmö Redhawks of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Calgary ...
rammed Hillen into the boards, where he fell awkwardly and had to be helped off the ice after being attended by trainers for several minutes. He successfully underwent surgery to his right leg on October 5 to repair his tibial plateau, the top part of the tibia that lies underneath the knee. He was expected to miss four-to-six months. Continuing his string of bad luck, on March 25, 2014, Hillen collided with Alexander Ovechkin and was knocked unconscious.
In the midst of his third season with the Capitals in
2014–15, Hillen produced five points in 35 games as a depth defender before he was traded, along with a fourth-round pick in
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, to the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
in exchange for
Tim Gleason
Timothy Patrick Gleason (born January 29, 1983) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and current assistant coach to the Carolina Hurricanes. Drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the first round, 23rd overall, at the 2001 NHL Entr ...
on February 28, 2015.
As a free agent Hillen was unable to attain a NHL contract, and having sustained several injuries opted to retire from professional hockey midway into the following season on December 30, 2015.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hillen, Jack
1986 births
Living people
American men's ice hockey defensemen
Carolina Hurricanes players
Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey players
Hershey Bears players
Ice hockey players from Minnesota
Nashville Predators players
New York Islanders players
Sportspeople from Portland, Oregon
Tri-City Storm players
Undrafted National Hockey League players
Washington Capitals players
AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans