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Hard-luck Hillen out with second concussion in two years

Carolina Hurricanes v New York Islanders

Carolina Hurricanes v New York Islanders

Bruce Bennett

Another health setback for ‘Canes defenseman Jack Hillen.

Hillen, acquired from Washington just prior to the trade deadline, has been sidelined by a concussion and will undergo testing/protocol, the club announced on Monday.

Hillen, 29, appeared in three games for the ‘Canes prior to getting hurt, sitting out yesterday’s wild 7-4 comeback win against the Oilers.

As mentioned above, it’s the latest in a series of tough injury breaks.

Hillen missed significant time during the lockout-shortened ’13 campaign with a shoulder injury, suffered on a big hit from then-Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier. Hillen then missed almost all of last season following a major leg fracture -- 60 games all told -- and, upon returning to the lineup, suffered a concussion after colliding with Alex Ovechkin.

During the offseason, Hillen complained of lingering knee pain that carried over from the end of the regular season — which turned out to be a staph infection, stemming from a plate screwed into his knee.

So yeah, rough times.

It stands to reason that Carolina might shut down Hillen for the remainder of this season, given his previous health concerns and concussion history. The ‘Canes have just 18 games left on the slate and are playing out the string.