It was a journey that began on June 28, 2018 – The day the Peterborough Petes opted to select Liam Kirk 8th overall in the CHL Import Draft.
After flying out to Arizona to strut his stuff in a prospect camp, Kirk joined his new club and made his OHL debut on September 20, 2018.
It certainly wasn’t a classic play but Liam picked up a primary assist in his first outing for the Petes.
Stripping an opponent of possession was great, falling over not so much but the puck fell perfectly for a teammate to rifle home the second goal of the game for Peterborough who defeated Kingston 4-0.
Three days later in Ottawa, Kirk scored his first OHL goal against the 67’s in a 6-3 victory and this was one to remember.
In just his third game and back on home ice, Kirk recorded a first multi-point haul with a goal and assist.
Four points through three games was a fairytale start but it wouldn’t last.
The GB forward endured a thirteen-game streak without recording a point.
Adapting to a new country, a smaller ice surface and different competition were always going to be obstacles but a little adversity was never going to be a bad thing.
Kirk responded by tallying ten points in as many games through November, including a pair of back-to-back two-goal outings.
From December 06, 2018, onwards, the winger played in 35 games and took his scoring exploits to a new level.
Kirk potted nineteen goals and added fourteen assists for 33 points and began to make many people stand up and take notice with some commanding performances.
Late in the regular season, the British forward registered his first three-point haul (1-2-3) which included this sweet goal.
Three days later on March 11, Kirk recorded his first-ever OHL hat-trick.
That earned him an OHL award.
The Peterborough Petes qualified for the post-season but were beaten in five by the Oshawa Generals in the first round of the 2019 play-offs.
Kirk mustered just one assist in that series but this did not diminish from an excellent start to his Canadian Junior hockey career.
He finished 95th overall in OHL scoring with 26 goals and 47 points through 63 games.
By his own admission, Kirk needed to make a strong impression in his second season with the Petes to have a shot at earning an NHL contract.
The Yorkshire native did just that.
In his first eight games, Kirk hit the twine seven times and put together four multi-point hauls.
By October end, Kirk had nine goals and as many assists in fourteen games.
At the end of the month, he also recorded a career-high four-point OHL haul which included this goal.
November was another fantastic month on and off the ice and a little emotional for the British wonder-kid.
Maureen and Matt Kirk flew into Ontario to surprise their son after a home victory against Kingston. Kirk recorded two assists in the game unaware his parents were watching and there were emotional scenes afterwards as you might imagine.
The scoring bandwagon continued.
Fifteen points in thirteen games including five goals and a trio of three-point hauls.
Kirk started December with yet another three-point game before disaster struck.
Two separate injuries in December and January led to him missing fifteen games in total, unable to fully return to action until February 08, 2020.
Once again Kirk was fast out of the gates and scored on his return to action.
In ten games #14 recorded eleven points including yet another three-point haul before the season was cut short and ultimately cancelled due to the coivd19 pandemic.
It was a crying shame for both Kirk and the Peterborough Petes, who had loaded up for the playoff run by acquiring Akil Thomas amongst other players.
Kirk and Thomas certainly found some chemistry in their short stint together.
His last goal of the season and sadly last goal for the Peterborough Petes was a trademark wrist shot.
In his second season, Kirk finished with fifty points in 47 games.
- Thirty Even Strength Points
- Seventeen Power-Play Points
- Twenty-one Goals
- Thirty-eight Primary Points
With the Ontario Hockey League having to cancel any form of season for 2020-21, Liam Kirk, like many other players wasn’t able to play as an over-ager and left unable to say goodbye to coaches, staff, team-mates and fans.
What is clear, however, is that the Maltby native was a well-loved member of the Petes despite his relatively short tenure in Peterborough, who proved to everyone that he was more than a publicity stunt.
Kirk’s final OHL numbers are as follows:
110 games
47 goals
50 assists
97 points
In an interview with Morgan Blaind for the Peterborough Petes website, Kirk had this to say about his time in Peterborough.
“The experience has been surreal. Having the opportunity to play in the OHL was something that I had dreamed of. It is something that I will never take for granted. It’s been a huge honour. I’ve met so many amazing people and have made friendships that will last a lifetime. Hockey is one part of it but all the relationships I’ve made will live on forever.”
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