How much more Liam Kirk could have done to further his career since being drafted is a question I’ve wrangled with.

Given much thought, the answer is not much at all, given he has impressed and improved with every showing since being selected by Arizona in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

The question should be, how much more could Arizona have done to aid a prospect they spent draft capital on and eventually signed to an Entry-Level contract?

This question comes with the caveat that Kirk was a late seventh-round pick from a country not known for producing high-end hockey players. That said, how many seventh-round selections have finished as the joint top goalscorer at a World Championships whilst representing a lower-end hockey nation?

However, I digress.

Through two seasons (one cut short by Covid19 pandemic) Kirk made excellent strides in the OHL with the Peterborough Petes.

He finished fifth in team scoring in both campaigns, averaging over a point per game pace in the second season.

The warning signs regarding Arizona’s interest were apparent as early as 2020-21 amid the pandemic.

Whilst Arizona sought places to play for their prospects left without junior hockey to participate in, Kirk was not assisted. It was left to the GB forward and his agent to make arrangements for ice time.

A spell with Hanhals IF ( HockeyEttan) (Five Goals + Five Assists in Twelve Games) was followed by a return to the UK to compete in an EIHL Series arranged for the benefit of Team GB (Ten Goals + Ten Assists in Fourteen Games).

Despite the lack of ice time and competitive action, Kirk made the hockey world stand up and take notice at the 2021 IIHF World Championships. The winger netted seven in as many games, tying for the championship lead in goals.

Kirk memorably scored twice and led the way in a momentous 4-3 victory against Belarus for Great Britain.

Two months later, Arizona penned Kirk to an entry-level contract with the clock running on their window to do so.

The 2021-22 campaign represented a first opportunity in the American Hockey League.

The Tucson Roadrunners would not pull up any trees but Kirk was one of a few bright spots early in the season.

He scored two goals and produced three points through seven games, despite playing outside the top six for the most part. Kirk’s first goal in the AHL was noticeable for his nose for the net and willingness to go to the dirty areas. A true ‘North American’ hockey goal, if there was one.

In the eighth game, the Maltby native sustained a knee injury that required surgery and thus curtailed his rookie season.

The rehab process was long and arduous, but come the following September, Kirk was ready to stamp his mark on the 2022-23 season.

The only problem was that the Tucson Roadrunners did not want any part of his return to action.

Kirk sat for the first two games of the season in Henderson.

The following weekend marked the home opener for Tucson.

A suited and booted Kirk looked less than pleased when having his name announced as part of the roster, with a short and sweet wave to the crowd.

After failing to feature in either home game against Bakersfield, it was apparent that the organisation and/or Tucson Head Coach Steve Potvin had an agenda against Kirk.

It took until the eighth game of the campaign for the winger to receive an opportunity.

It could not have been in worse circumstances as the Roadrunners produced an insipid performance in a 4-1 loss to Coachella.

For what it’s worth, Kirk was one of the better performers, especially since it was the first time getting his feet wet.

It would prove to be the last game in Tucson colours for the Arizona prospect.

Kirk and his agent had to take serious measures to ensure some playing time, namely with a stint in the ECHL.

Five goals and eleven points in fifteen games for Atlanta weren’t enough to pique the interest of Tucson or Steve Potvin, despite the Roadrunners imploding and suffering heavy losses regularly.

The insistence on dressing players on AHL contracts ahead of prospects was truly staggering but especially so, given the circumstances and performances.

Again it was left to Kirk and his agent to orchestrate a loan move to further his career.

A twenty-five-game stint with Jukurit in Liiga proved Kirk could mix it with the best in European hockey, playing alongside and with other NHL prospects.

I wrote about just what Kirk achieved in this article: https://wp.me/p2gDti-1u5

In short, it was a highly impressive showing.

Albeit at the Division 1, Group A level, Kirk once again showed dominance whilst representing Great Britain this past May. He contributed three goals and ten points through five games to lead his nation to a gold medal and promotion back to the top tier.

This summer, Arizona chose to load up its roster at the AHL level with a series of lower-end signings and penning players to AHL deals.

That immediately spelt trouble and rang alarm bells in my head.

You would assume if Kirk wasn’t in their plans moving forward, a meeting early in the summer to discuss the future would have been mutually beneficial.

But no, it took until late August, or early September for the situation to be resolved.

https://x.com/CapFriendly/status/1699560185512046772?s=20

The speculation surrounding a move to a team in the Czech League proved correct, thus ending Liam’s time in North America, for now.

https://x.com/hcvlitvinov/status/1699815709096783945?s=20

The majority of seventh-round picks fail to see the light of day when it comes to playing in the NHL.

That said, Arizona’s treatment of Kirk, before and after signing him to an ELC has at best, been negligent and at worst, shown a great deal of contempt for a player who did everything in his power to develop and improve himself.

Arguably, splitting from Arizona will be better for Kirk’s prospects.

Only time will tell.

At least he can approach the 2023-24 campaign with a fresh slate and opportunity at a club who are more than happy to have his services.

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