“When I got there I was excited,” Killorn said. “But I knew the importance of keeping it simple. I just tried not to make mistakes and blend in at first.”

Watching from back in Cambridge, his teammates are not surprised with his success.

“We could tell last year that he was just a step above everybody else in the college game,” said junior defenseman Dan Ford, who was recently named Harvard’s 2013-14 captain.

“Especially coach Donato, he wasn’t surprised,” added Greiner. “It was a matter of time with Alex.”

Killorn started playing when he was four years old at the outdoor rink that was just down the street from his home in Beaconsfield, Quebec.

“We would just walk down and skate,” he said.

From there, as with so many young boys in Quebec, Killorn fell in love with the game.

Killorn decided he wanted to play hockey in college when he realized his potential in middle school. He knew hockey would open up incredible opportunities, as it does today, and Harvard was the right choice for him.

“Education is something that is important for my family and for me, and I was very pleased to go to Harvard,” Killorn said.

In addition to academics, across the river, Killorn could let his skill and passion for hockey take form.

One moment in particular stands out to Greiner as one of his fondest memories of his former teammate.

“[Killorn] scored one of the nicest goals I have ever seen against North Dakota his senior year on a power-play,” Greiner recalled. “[It was] from the right side, high glove. One of my buddies on the North Dakota team came up to me and said, ‘Oh my God, that was one of the nicest shots I’ve ever seen, that kid is probably going to play in the NHL.’”

Despite a high number of Crimson players selected in the NHL draft—including nine on this year’s roster—few are able to turn that potential into professional success. One such player who found success in the pros is Louis Leblanc, formerly ’13, who left after his freshman year here to have an incredible rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens. Killorn grew up down the street from Leblanc, and was impressed by his precocious success.

“He was like a little brother…to watch him go pro was amazing,” Killorn said. “Last year was an unbelievable experience for him, it helped to show guys can go from Harvard straight to NHL, it’s possible. He’s definitely some guys’ motivation.”