I’ve no idea if any hockey player, let alone one beginning their career, ever takes a moment in the summer to reflect back on the year previous.

It’s been an incredible twelve months for Liam Kirk – thrust into the spotlight of the hockey world after being selected in the 2018 NHL entry draft and just last month played a role in Great Britain’s successful World Championship campaign which saw the nation exceed expectation by avoiding relegation.

JUNE 2018:

The month that changed Liam Kirk’s career and life forever.
After impressing at the NHL combine and speaking to ten teams during that process, on June 23 Kirk was selected 189th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the NHL Entry Draft hosted in Dallas, Texas.

Five days later the English born and trained forward was chosen 7th overall by OHL team Peterborough Petes in the CHL Import Draft.

JULY 2018:

With the details all finalised, Liam Kirk committed himself to the Peterborough Petes by signing a contract with the OHL organisation.

AUGUST 2018:

Flew out to Canada and joined the training camp with Peterborough which included playing in inter-squad scrimmages. These were broadcast live on Facebook with fans in the UK tuning in much to the surprise of the Petes!

SEPTEMBER 2018:

The Arizona Coyotes began their training camp and the 18 year old Kirk was invited to stay a little longer after making a strong impression alongside NHL talent.

Once released from camp by the Arizona organisation, the Englishman began his North American junior career in earnest with an assist on debut.
He followed that up with goals in consecutive games before going pointless in his next outing despite recording five shots on net.

OCTOBER 2018:

The reality of the task in front of Kirk hit home in the month of October.
Despite a fantastic start, adapting to life in a new country, new league and the smaller ice surface was always going to take some time.
No points in twelve consecutive games was exactly the adversity he required in hindsight and better at this stage of the season than later.

NOVEMBER 2018:

Changing fortunes for player and team as Kirk netted five goals and accumulated nine points in twelve outings. Included in this was a first multi-goal game for the British rookie.

DECEMBER 2018:

A lighter schedule in the month of December, especially leading upto the Christmas period.
There was not let-up from Kirk however who continued to roll along with five goals and an assist in six games.

JANUARY 2019:

The turn of the year saw Kirk celebrate his 19th birthday and it was yet another fruitful month offensively.
Just eight games in the OHL but no let up in production with four goals and three assists.

It was off to Europe and a trip to Estonia for the 2019 IIHF U20 World Championships Division Two, Group A with Great Britain.
Not only did Kirk captain Team GB, he was the tournaments leading scorer with fourteen points (5-9-14), outright top goal scorer and assist producer, named best GB player and best forward of the tournament, and helped GB clinch a bronze medal.

FEBRUARY 2019:

A stint on the larger European ice the month before certainly didn’t quell his appetite for offense back in the relative hurly burly of the OHL.
Almost producing at point per game pace with a further four goals and seven assists, which included four multi-point hauls in twelve outings.

MARCH 2019:

A strong second half to his season continued as the forward accrued nine points in the final eight regular season games.
Six goals included a first ever hat-trick and Peterborough had also qualified for the playoffs.

It was a short playoff experience however against an Oshawa Generals team who just had too many weapons for the Petes. Kirk had just one assist to his name through five games in what was another excellent learning curve for him.

APRIL 2019:

The target was clear and Kirk namely made the cut.
Great Britain Head Coach Pete Russell named the former Sheffield Steelers forward to his final roster for next months World Championships.
Kirk featured in a pair of exhibition games against KHL side Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo and was named GB’s man of the match in the second encounter.

MAY 2019:

After a long training camp which essentially held Great Britain in good stead by the time the 2019 IIHF World Championships came around, Liam Kirk suited up against some of the best players in the world

The youngster failed to put up any points but had several promising moments and will surely have learnt much from an experience that ended on a high as Great Britain avoided relegation thanks to a dramatic last ditch win against France.

2018/19 Statistics
Peterborough Petes 63GP 26G 21A 47Pts
Great Britain U20    05GP 05G 14A 14Pts
Great Britain            05GP 00G 00A 00Pts

Featured image courtesy of Dan Bodanis.