The same now goes for Killorn.
In his transition from the Ivy League to the NHL, a lot has changed for the 23-year old rookie. Besides the food and travel that he candidly noted are profoundly better with the Lightning, there are some adjustments that are still taking time for him to get used to.
“The NHL is top-notch, and very different,” Killorn said. “I go into hotels, and have fans waiting for me to come out when I’m going to get a coffee, asking me to sign stuff. I’m definitely more in the spotlight.”
Helping in the transition to the big leagues was Crimson coach Ted Donato ’91. His own impressive playing career at Harvard, and after with a 13-year career in the NHL primarily with the Boston Bruins, makes him a perfect mentor for stars like Killorn.
“He has always been very supportive,” the rookie said, referring to a time this year when he called, just days before the then anxious Killorn was pulled up.
Besides Donato, current Crimson players make a point to stay in touch with Killorn. After a good game or a nice goal, they admit to texting or tweeting their virtual congratulations to their former teammate.
During a Lightning road trip to play the Bruins, Killorn came to Cambridge and watched his former team upset No. 1 Quinnipiac, 2-1, in overtime on Mar. 1.
Back in the locker room, the atmosphere was casual. It was like he never left.
"'Kill’ was a pretty good dude, a great teammate,” Greiner said. “Our class was very close with the graduating class from last year; we spent a lot of time with them.”
From all the excitement and the hype of the NHL, Killorn shared one moment that stands out as the greatest from his experience thus far.
“Last week we played at the Bell Centre [in Montreal], where I grew up watching so many games,” Killorn said. “To play there in front of my friends was really exciting.”
The worst moment, he added, was nearly breaking his nose. Escaping with just a black eye and few stitches, Killorn brushed it off, casually, as him being lucky.
With all the ups and downs, Killorn has established himself as a likely long-time NHL player.
“He’s big, he’s tough, he gives us some muscle, he has good skills, and he can give us good hockey IQ,” Vinik said. “We see him as a very strong, well-rounded hockey player. Alex is going to be a great player for us in years ahead.”
The season has come to an end for Killorn and the Lightning, which failed to qualify for the NHL playoff, and finished second-to-last in the Eastern Conference. Last month, Tampa Bay hired Jon Cooper, Killorn’s former coach with the Admirals, in the hope that some change will bring better success on the ice.
“I think we have real good hockey players, it just takes time for everybody to develop, but in a few years we’ll be a very good team we have no doubt,” Vinik said.
“I hope he has a very long career,” Ford added. “He was playing college a year ago, and now is one of the top guys on his team. I always knew he was a good player, and that he was going to play at the next level, but playing this last year without him, it gave a further appreciation for how good he really was.”
As opposed to playing with a group of fellow student-athletes, Killorn is now in a locker room full of veterans and up-and-comers alike, all getting paid to play the game they love. With that comes an added responsibility akin to regular recent college graduates thrust into the real world.
“The team dynamic is still the same,” Killorn said. “We’re just a group of guys trying to win a couple hockey games.”