The tedious job of adding depth to the system continues at 401 Channelside Drive. As the 2011-12 season begins its long fade out, things are just as busy as they have ever been in the Lightning front office.
A couple of weeks ago, just after the 2012 NHL trade deadline passed, the Bolts signed forward Cory Conacher to a two-year, two-way contract. Conacher turned heads during his days at Lightning training camp last fall. He cemented his place in the Bolts future with a monster effort with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL.
Last week, the Bolts inked 2011 1st round draft selection Vladislav Namestnikov to his entry-level contract. Vladdy will be eligible to play in the AHL next season due to the arcane age rules laid down in the NHL/ CHL agreement.
Today adds another prospect to the Lightning table, as 2007 draft pick Alex Killorn was signed to a two-year, two-way contract with the Bolts. Killorn, who has played the last four years with the Harvard Crimson of the ECAC, was a Hobey Baker nominee (not a finalist) this season with his 46 point effort in 34 games this season (23 goals, 23 assists).
Bolt Prospects ranks Alex as the #1 prospect in the Tampa Bay Lightning developmental system. From their 2011-12 midterm rankings:
The secret may finally be out. After roughly four years of being known as Bolt Prospects’ “Stealth Prospect,” Alex Killorn is finally getting the attention of the hockey world in his senior campaign at Harvard. Two-thirds of the way through the season, Killorn’s already bested his career highs, and he looks poised to challenge for an NHL job in camp in the fall, just like Ashton. Killorn’s got a bit of everything: decent size and strength, slick puck handling skills, sharp hockey sense, willingness to finish his checks, and leadership intangibles. He drew comparisons to Brian Rolston in his draft year, and he’s done nothing to dissuade anybody from that lofty comparison thus far. We think there’s still some fine-tuning to be done on his first step acceleration, his shot, and his defensive coverage, but he’s really close to being an NHL regular in Tampa Bay.
After signing his contract with the Lightning, Alex followed up by signing an Amateur Tryout Contract with the Norfolk Admirals. He’ll join the Ads immediately.
The Admirals press release for the signing is below the jump, accompanied by Alex’s numbers from his career with Harvard. You can follow him on Twitter at @AKillorn19.
Admirals Sign Forward Alex Killorn to Amateur Tryout Contract
NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk Admirals have signed forward Alex Killorn to an Amateur Tryout Contract (ATO), Admirals General Manager Julien BriseBois announced today.
Killorn, 22, played in 34 games with Harvard University this season, recording 23 goals and 46 points to go along with 47 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 197-pound forward ranked first on Harvard in goals and points and was second in assists. Killorn ranked third in the Eastern College Athletic Conference in goals and was fourth in points. He was named to the 2012 ECAC First Team All-League and was a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate player.
The Halifax, Nova Scotia native has skated in 130 career games with Harvard over the past four seasons, recording 53 goals and 109 points to go along with 155 penalty minutes. He is the first Harvard player to record 50 goals in his collegiate career since 2004.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL parent club of the Admirals, selected Killorn in the third round, 107th overall, at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Earlier today, the Lightning signed Killorn to a two-year, two-way contract.
