The '01 native of Chesterfield, NJ is in his first season with the Railers, after spending the 2019-20 season with the Maine Nordiques of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). To date this season, the defensive defenseman has notched a trio of assists.

"We are thrilled that Derek has reached his goal to be a student-athlete at Colby,” said Railers head coach Sean Bertoni. “Because of Derek’s intuition and ice awareness he has played a lot, not only 5-on-5, but on special teams as well. Derek is a quiet leader and competes at a high level every day that he comes to the rink. His effort and dedication to the game have been tremendous.”

Colby plays out of the highly competitive New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), which is well-known for it's high-end academic institutions. Hessinger is the 6th player in league history to choose the Mules program.

“Over a two-year period I have become very impressed with the academic strength and the depth of academic offerings at Colby, and with the hockey program, their coaches and a beautiful, brand-new facility which is so impressive,” said Hessinger. “I couldn’t be happier with the option I have chosen and the great opportunity that lies ahead of me.”

The defenseman then went on to talk about his decision to player for the Railers this season and how it ultimately led to this moment.

“I made contact with Coach Addesa and the opportunity was there so I decided to go to the Railers and I couldn’t have made a better decision," added Hessinger. “Also, immediately as a result of Coach Addesa’s efforts, I was in touch with several NESCAC schools and I reconnected with Colby assistant coach Tyler Walsh, who I had met while playing with the Nordiques. The decision to become a Worcester Railer couldn’t have worked out any better. I am extremely excited to be going to a wonderful academic institution like Colby College and spending the next four years of my life in the state of Maine. I will be forever grateful to Eric Soltys [Nordiques Director of Player Personnel] for his suggestion to consider moving to Worcester and to all of the people associated with the Worcester Railers program.”

Hessinger and the Railers are right in the thick of things in the Central Division, with their next game scheduled for Monday against the Seahawks Hockey Club.

Learn more about the Railers on the team's official website, and check out the full 2020-21 NCAA commitment list.