Before Liam Kirk arrived on the scene, GB’s great young hope was Sam Duggan.

The Reading born youngster first came to my attention when covering the IIHF Men’s U18 World Championships, Division 2 Group A, hosted in Scotland.

At the tender age of fourteen, Duggan was a standout player for GB during that tournament held in 2014, leading the GB with five goals and tied in team scoring (seven points).
Duggan would also go on to represent GB at the U20 in the same year and those campaigns probably convinced Swedish outfit Örebro HK to sign the starlet.

From 2014-2018, Duggan represented Örebro HK at the J18 and J20 levels, captaining the former and wearing an ‘A’ with the latter during his last season.
During his most recent campaign with GB U20, Duggan’s nine point haul was only behind Liam Kirk in team scoring (who led tournament with fourteen points) as GB clinched a bronze medal.

After just five games in the NAHL (the oldest junior hockey league in the United States) with Jamestown Rebels this season, Duggan signed with two-time Elite League Champions, Cardiff Devils.

Turning professional is rarely a task many young players adapt to quickly but the forward could not be in better hands. The Devils are looking to expand their young home-grown talent with Craig Moore, Tom Rutkis and netminder Jordan Lawday (latter duo on two-way deals) all under the age of 23.

Head Coach Andrew Lord has proven himself an excellent man manager since going full-time behind the bench and will doubtless give his new forward the assignments he feels he’s capable of handling as he learns how to become a professional.
Another plus is that Cardiff are stocked full of experienced North American players who will be an invaluable resource to Duggan.

The 20 year old made his debut this past Sunday during a 4-0 victory in a meaningless Challenge Cup game against Coventry Blaze. Though he didn’t register a point, Duggan made a strong impression by all accounts and struck the post – not bad for a player who hadn’t skated for two weeks and only arrived back in the UK on Friday.

GB Men’s Head coach Pete Russell coached Duggan at the junior level and will be keeping a keen eye on his play this season with the World Championships next spring firmly in the mind.
Two seasons ago, he iced for the GB Men’s Senior squad that won Gold in Belfast to gain promotion to Division 1A, scoring twice and adding an assist in the 5 games he played for the National Team, but didn’t feature in the most recent successful campaign.

A signing which is certainly a coup for Cardiff but also an excellent opportunity for Duggan to establish himself not only in the professional game but to give him the greatest opportunity to be called into the GB squad to face some of the world’s best players next year.