In early August, all of Preds Nation was focused on the Shea Weber arbitration hearing and what it all meant for the Predators and the captain's future in Smashville.It was almost an afterthought on August 8 when the Predators announced that they had signed Jack Hillen to a one year, two way contract that would pay him $650,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 should he end up in Milwaukee.Hillen is one of a growing number of players who decided to go the NCAA Hockey route to find his way to the pro ranks. After a year in the USHL at Tri-City, he went to Colorado College where he played four years and was named the WCHA Defensive player of the year as a senior in 2008."I wouldn’t give up my four years there for anything," Hillen said with a smile."I had great coaching and they really helped me get stronger. It’s not for everybody."Hillen is shorter than your prototypical NHL blueliner at 5'10", but packs a lot of muscle in his 190 pound frame. It's ...
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