OT: Jack Hillen Retires

[xECK29x]

http://www.letsplayhockey.com/onlin...nnetonka-s-jack-hillen-calls-it-a-career.html

Small news, but I liked Hillen as an Islander, hope he has a long and successful career outside of playing.

Click to read more...

 

[majormet]

Showed promise at time, never was the same after taking an Ovechkin slapshot to his head I think... small but he had heart and moved the puck decently when we had no dmen that could move the puck.

 

[LeapOnOver]

Most of all he was an excellent skater. Just didn't really have any other tools in the tool box. Maybe the equivalent of a Grabner defenseman.

 

[IslesNorway]

I kinda liked Hillen as he seemed like an underdog type of player, but he never recovered from the shot to the eye.

 

[WangMustGo]

Showed promise at time, never was the same after taking an Ovechkin slapshot to his head I think... small but he had heart and moved the puck decently when we had no dmen that could move the puck.

I remember being at that game, sitting right behind the net when Hillen took that shot. Worst injury I have ever seen live in any sporting event. Scary stuff. Had a nice career for an undersized defenseman.

 

[majormet]

I remember being at that game, sitting right behind the net when Hillen took that shot. Worst injury I have ever seen live in any sporting event. Scary stuff. Had a nice career for an undersized defenseman.

Was at that game as well, we were on the other side of the ice, so did not see that magnitude, was also the turning point in the season, next day I think the wretched Dustin Kohn came up from the farm.

 

[crashthenet]

Was at that game as well, we were on the other side of the ice, so did not see that magnitude, was also the turning point in the season, next day I think the wretched Dustin Kohn came up from the farm.

Hillen squeezed what he could out of what he had. A lot like Olesky in that regard. Kohn on the other hand....

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Hillen squeezed what he could out of what he had. A lot like Olesky in that regard. Kohn on the other hand....

Good God Dustin Kohn

 

[BarBeauWahlDobLok]

Good God Dustin Kohn

This is part of the reason why I advise against falling in love with the draft and prospects. He was a highly regarded prospect going into the 2005 Draft. Then, of course, so was Wayne Doucet in his draft year [1988?]

 

[Sparksrus3]

There is a nice little news article dated March 15, 2015 in the Washington post about when hillen was traded last season before the playoffs from Washington to Carolina. Just about how he was never traded before and did not know what to do after coach told him. Also how having 2 kids and a pregnant 7 month wife with their 3rd made moving everyone around tough. I don't know how to post links like you boys and girls do sorry. If someone posts it I will say thanks in advance. " thanks in advance"

He has the rest of his life now. He got to be a professional hockey player. How freaken cool is that.

 

[Islanderfan17]

Was a good soldier, I liked him. I was at the game he took the puck to the face, was really scary.

 

[MatthewBarnabysTears]

Was a good soldier, I liked him. I was at the game he took the puck to the face, was really scary.

yeah. screw anyone who goes negative here. jack hillen was a nobody prospect who came out of nowhere to make the team.it never ceases to amaze me the scorn posters here have for homegrown guys like hillen, campoli, gervais who grow up with the organization and fight their way into the lineup.

 

[Sparksrus3]

yeah. screw anyone who goes negative here. jack hillen was a nobody prospect who came out of nowhere to make the team.it never ceases to amaze me the scorn posters here have for homegrown guys like hillen, campoli, gervais who grow up with the organization and fight their way into the lineup.

But the posts have been positive.

 

[MatthewBarnabysTears]

But the posts have been positive.

they have. it was more of a preemptive statement about how i expected people to react, based on other posts about hillen and similar guys. but im happy to be wrong.

 

[bigtim1988]

Showed promise at time, never was the same after taking an Ovechkin slapshot to his head I think... small but he had heart and moved the puck decently when we had no dmen that could move the puck.

came in here to say this.....before the injury, he wasn't a bad #7dman

 

[ScaredStreit]

Hillen was a "meh" player. Good luck in retirement.

 

[LetsGoIslanders]

I remember being at that game, sitting right behind the net when Hillen took that shot. Worst injury I have ever seen live in any sporting event. Scary stuff. Had a nice career for an undersized defenseman.

It was painful even on TV. I was in attendance, however, for a Thrashers exhibition game when Vladimir Vujtek caught a skate blade in the face for something like 100-200 stitches.

 

[Yitz]

yeah. screw anyone who goes negative here. jack hillen was a nobody prospect who came out of nowhere to make the team.it never ceases to amaze me the scorn posters here have for homegrown guys like hillen, campoli, gervais who grow up with the organization and fight their way into the lineup.

I hear what you're saying, and I'm sorry to derail the thread a bit here, but the Gervais hate is completely justified. That guy was so bad he could even ice the puck without it being intercepted at the blue line! I hope Chef Bruno is out of hockey and back in the kitchen where he belongs.

All that said...I really liked Jack Hillen when he was on the Isles, but as others have said he was never the same after taking an Ovechkin slapshot to the jaw. Best of luck Jack!

 

[kmo429]

they have. it was more of a preemptive statement about how i expected people to react, based on other posts about hillen and similar guys. but im happy to be wrong.

Bruno Gervais deserves all the **** he gets. Guy was last decade's Brian Strait, in terms of somehow always being in the lineup despite being purely horrid

 

[Sparksrus3]

Bruno Gervais deserves all the **** he gets. Guy was last decade's Brian Strait, in terms of somehow always being in the lineup despite being purely horrid

Bruno is 15th in all time games played by an islanders D man.

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Bruno is 15th in all time games played by an islanders D man.

That just makes me sick. You guys think I hated Bailey? I hated Gervais way more, along with Jeff Tambellini and Rob Schremp.

I did like Hillen though, hope he does well with retirement.