Jack Hillen six days ago was playing in the NCAA West Regional representing Colorado College. Last night, Hillen jumped in with both feet into one of the most heated rivalries in the NHL: Islanders vs. Rangers.

Hillen will not be confused with a heavyweight anytime soon. Standing at 5-11 and weighing 200 pounds, Hillen is more of an offensive minded defensemen. While playing for Colorado, Hillen notched 37 points(31 on assists)which lead all Division-1 defensemen.

After last nights 3-0 loss to the Rangers, Newsdays Greg Logan caught up with Coach Ted Nolan and asked what he thought of Hillen’s debut:

“He handled himself fairly well, but he definitely needs some seasoning before he’s ready for prime time,” Nolan said. “But we’re not going to judge a kid too heavily throwing him from college hockey into a game against the Rangers. That’s too unfair. But he looks like he has a good upside to him.”

Logan also spoke to Captain Bill Guerin:

“Jack played as well as anybody I’ve ever seen in their first game, especially against your biggest rivals,” Guerin said. “I thought he handled himself incredibly well out there.”

Hillen looks to be one of 3 core young defensemen the Islanders are looking to build around including Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais. Unfortunately, players on the defensive side of the puck do not contribute too often offensively. That’s why last night was as important a loss for the Islanders as it was a Rangers win. The loss secured the Islanders a spot in the NHL Draft lottery, putting them one step closer to acquiring young star Steven Stamkos.