Alex Killorn

Lore & Background

Killorn's path to the NHL started in Beaconsfield, Quebec, where he grew up with two sisters. He attended Loyola High School and played midget AAA hockey for the Lac St. Louis Lions before spending two seasons at Deerfield Academy. Drafted by the Lightning in 2007, he chose to play at Harvard University, where he was named to the 2011–12 ECAC Hockey First Team. After college, he joined the Norfolk Admirals and won a Calder Cup before signing his entry-level contract with Tampa Bay. He made his NHL debut during the lockout-shortened 2013 season, scoring his first goal against José Théodore. Over the years, Killorn developed into a reliable two-way forward, eventually being named alternate captain before the 2019–20 season after Ryan Callahan's retirement. His playoff performances include setting scoring records among Harvard alumni, including the first goal by a Harvard player in a Stanley Cup Finals game in 2015.

Reader's Guide

Killorn's playing style was built on intelligence and versatility. He could play center or left wing, kill penalties, and contribute offensively. His rookie season in 2013 saw him record 7 goals and 12 assists in 38 games. The next year, he played all 82 games and put up 41 points, helping the Lightning reach the playoffs for the first time since 2011. In the 2015 playoffs, he scored 9 goals and 9 assists in 26 games, setting single-postseason scoring records for Harvard alumni. His 2015 postseason included goals in Games 1 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks. Killorn signed a seven-year, $31 million extension in July 2016. He reached 100 career assists in March 2017 and scored his first NHL hat-trick against the Washington Capitals in March 2019. After the 2019 playoffs, it was revealed he played Game 4 with a torn MCL. He was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy following the 2020 season.

Did You Know?

• He played Game 4 of the 2019 playoffs with a medial collateral ligament tear.
• Killorn was suspended for one game by the NHL Department of Player Safety during the 2020 playoffs for boarding Brock Nelson.

Early Life and Developmental Path

Alexander Joseph Killorn was born on September 14, 1989, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but grew up in Beaconsfield, Quebec, with two sisters. He attended Loyola High School in Montreal and played Lakeshore minor hockey. He played midget AAA hockey for the Lac St. Louis Lions before spending two seasons at Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts. The Tampa Bay Lightning selected him in the third round, 77th overall, of the 2007 NHL entry draft before his senior year at Deerfield. He then played collegiate hockey at Harvard University in the NCAA Division I ECAC Hockey conference. In his senior year, he was selected to the 2011–12 ECAC Hockey First Team.

Rookie Breakthrough and Professional Ascent

After finishing his senior season at Harvard, Killorn was assigned to the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL and was a key player as they won the Calder Cup. He signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Lightning on May 19, 2012. During the 2012 NHL lockout, he played for the Syracuse Crunch before joining the NHL roster in January 2013. He recorded his first career NHL assist on February 10, 2013, on a goal by Vincent Lecavalier against the New York Rangers. On February 16, he scored his first NHL goal against José Théodore in a 6–5 overtime win over the Florida Panthers. He finished the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season with 7 goals and 12 assists for 19 points in 38 games. In the 2013–14 season, he played all 82 games, recording 17 goals, 24 assists, and 41 points, helping the Lightning qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2011. He made his playoff debut on April 16, 2014, scoring a goal and an assist in a 5–4 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Lightning were swept in four games. On June 19, 2014, he signed a two-year, $5.1 million contract extension.

Playoff Dominance and Harvard Legacy

In the 2014–15 season, Killorn played 71 games with 15 goals, 23 assists, and 38 points. During the 2015 playoffs, the Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings in seven games, the Montreal Canadiens in six, and the New York Rangers in seven to reach the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. Killorn's goal in Game 1 of the Finals was the first scored by a Harvard alum in a Stanley Cup Finals game. His goal in Game 4 made him the first Harvard alum with multiple goals in a Finals series. He finished the 2015 postseason with 9 goals and 9 assists for 18 points in 26 games, all single-postseason records among Harvard alumni. His 10 goals over two postseasons ranked second only to Dominic Moore (11) on Harvard's all-time list. In the 2015–16 season, he played 81 games with 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points. In the 2016 playoffs, the Lightning defeated the Red Wings in five games and the Islanders in five games before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games in the Eastern Conference Final. Killorn played all 17 games, scoring 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points.

Championship Success and Franchise Tenure

On July 17, 2016, Killorn signed a seven-year, $31 million extension with the Lightning. On March 23, 2017, he recorded his 100th career assist on a goal by Jonathan Drouin. He finished the 2016–17 season with 19 goals, 17 assists, and 36 points in 81 games as the Lightning missed the playoffs by one point. On November 3, 2017, he was fined $5,000 by the NHL Department of Player Safety. In the 2017–18 season, he played all 82 games with 15 goals, 32 assists, and 47 points as the Lightning finished as the top seed in the East. In the 2018 playoffs, the Lightning defeated the New Jersey Devils in five games and the Boston Bruins in five games before losing to the Washington Capitals in seven games in the Eastern Conference Final. Killorn had 5 goals and 2 assists in 17 games. On February 19, 2019, he scored his 100th career goal against Carter Hart. On February 28, he played his 500th NHL game. On March 16, he recorded his first career hat-trick against the Washington Capitals. He finished the 2018–19 season with 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games as the Lightning won the Presidents' Trophy. In the 2019 playoffs, the Lightning were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Killorn had 1 goal in 4 games while playing through a torn MCL. He was named alternate captain before the 2019–20 season. In the 2020 playoffs, he had 5 goals and 5 assists in 24 games as the Lightning won the Stanley Cup. In the 2020–21 season, he played all 56 games with 15 goals, 18 assists, and 33 points. In the 2021 playoffs, he had 8 goals and 9 assists in 19 games before suffering a broken fibula in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning won the Cup in five games.