Hey Ducks fans! How y’all doing? Justice For Rusty invited me to head on over here to Anaheim Calling and do some occasional writing for the Ducks fans. So a little introduction. I’m Geo, I go by GeoFitz4 most every where on the internet. I’ve been writing about hockey and specifically the Tampa Bay Lightning for RawCharge since 2015. My specialty is in the salary cap and long form analysis. I’ve also been known to dive into drafts and prospects and reviewing old trades and trade trees. And rambling. I’m really good at rambling, so pardon me if I get a little bit run on.
Rusty’s suggestion for a first article was an introduction to new Anaheim Duck forward Alex Killorn… who unfortunately broke a finger. Such is hockey life though. I’ve had an up close view of Killorn as he entered the NHL and became a two-time Stanley Cup champion so I’m qualified to be able to give you some good perspective on him.
A Little Background
Killorn was drafted by the Lightning in the 3rd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft out of Deerfield Academy, a High School program in Massachusetts. Killorn is Canadian though, having been born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Unlike the vast majority of Quebec and Maritimes hockey players, he decided he did not want to play in the QMJHL. Although he was drafted in the 3rd round of the QMJHL draft by the Shawinigan Cataractes, he wanted to to play NCAA. After another year in high school, he debuted for Harvard in 2008-09 scoring 6 goals and 14 points in 30 games. He took steps forward every season at Harvard and was an Alternate Captain as a Senior when he scored 23 goals and 46 points in 34 games. He finished his NCAA career with 53 goals and 109 points in 130 games. Solid, but not stellar production for the NCAA.
At the end of his senior season, he signed an entry-level contract with Tampa Bay and reported to their AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. You may or may not remember this, but the Admirals set a North American professional hockey record by winning 28 consecutive games. Killorn joined them while they were in the midst of that run recording two goals and six points in ten games. The Admirals entered in the Calder Cup playoffs as the favorite and swept the Conference and Calder Cup finals to win the championship. On the way to the Calder Cup, Killorn scored three goals and 12 points in 17 games.
Killorn returned to the AHL for the start of the 2012-13 season due to the NHL lockout. If not for the lockout, he would have been in the NHL out of training camp, but he had to wait until the new CBA was signed before making the jump to the NHL. He recorded 8 goals and 19 points in 38 games during the lockout shortened season. Killorn continued on with the Lightning, being a consistent half point per game scorer in the middle six, as well as pitching in on the penalty kill and power play. Over the last four seasons, as NHL scoring has gone up, Killorn has also seen his point production increase, hitting 20 goals in three of the past four reasons, after never getting to that plateau in six previous full seasons. He might have made it to 20 goals in 2020-21 if the season hadn’t been shorter, with him only coming up with 15 goals.
Killorn has never been a player at the top of the line-up in the NHL, always being a complementary winger in the middle six with occasional stints on the top line. The only time he has gotten votes for a major individual award was when he finished 19th in the Calder Trophy voting in 2012-13. However, he has two Stanley Cup rings, has played in four Stanley Cup Finals, and six Conference Finals. He has scored 198 goals and 466 points in 805 career games, as well as 37 goals and 77 points in 140 postseason games.
He Does A Little Bit Of Everything
Killorn is a complementary winger that fits well in the top six. I wouldn’t outright call him a Power Forward, but more of a Hybrid Forward as he has some power elements to his game. He has good size for a forward and is strong along the boards, either protecting the puck or digging it out. His pass is better than his shot, though his shot has gotten better as he’s gotten older. One area where he really shines is tips and deflections in front of the net.
He isn’t a super high skill player, but he passes the puck well and has some creativity in his game. He’s played a large chunk of his career on a line with Steven Stamkos and knows how to play with an elite shooter. At even strength, Stamkos is by far his most assisted player having assisted on 39 goals. He’s also spent time with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, assisting on 13 and 12 of their even strength goals respectively.
More recently, he was almost permanently attached to Anthony Cirelli. The two of them served as a defensive security blanket for Lightning coach Jon Cooper. He could throw them out against the toughest competition and trust in them to hold the fort while still being able to generate offense. The two of them were also a constant pair on the penalty kill. While he has the skill level needed to play with high end offensive talents, he’s still more than capable of filling a shutdown role. Itg all depends on who’s line you put him on.
Killorn can also play in any situation that you need him to. He’s a great down low player on the power play, whether that means supporting the half-wall from below the goal line, or getting to the front of the net and using his big frame to provide a screen while looking for tips. On the penalty kill, he’s positionally sound and uses his hockey IQ to understand what the opposition is doing. He’s not the quickest player and isn’t the biggest threat to score shorthanded, but has picked up four goals and five assist while down a man. He excels at wasting time in the opponent’s defensive zone during short handed situations though. Because of his size and strength, he can battle along the boards and protect the puck burning off valuable power play time for opponents.
Likewise, he’s a player you can use late in the game whether protecting a lead or trying to find the equalizer. You can also use him during overtime, though he’s not going to be your first choice unless you’re trying to defend against a high octane pair of offensive forwards on the other side of the ice.
Sometimes He Falls Down… For No Reason
I know this is kind of going to sound like I’m picking on him, but I’m really not. Killorn falls down. A lot.Often, without anyone near him. It’s unexplainable. I used to have a joke with a couple of friends that it wasn’t an Official Game until Killorn had fallen down on his own at least once. Like I said before, he’s not the fastest skater, but he is strong. And still… I don’t understand why, but he just falls down. Now that I’ve told you this, watch for it and you’ll notice it too. And when it happens, just go with it.
He’s a Pretty Good Dude
I’ve had the good fortune to meet Killorn a few times during his time in Tampa. He was always friendly with fans, willing to sign autographs. Every once in a while, pictures would popup on social media of people running into him at a local restaurant and posing for pictures with fans. During the shutdown at the end of the 2019-20 season, Killorn started going live with “Dock Talk” from his jet ski around downtown Tampa. The streams grew in popularity and he started doing interviews with other players from the team, as well as Buccaneer players.
When the restart was announced, he produced a video with his teammates patterned after the beginning of The Might Ducks 2 movie and ending with them all driving jetskis in the shape of a Flying V. The final episode of Dock Talk featured an appearance from Kenan Thompson. Killorn also sold Dock Talk merch and donated the proceeds to a local charity.