With the (Penny) Deutsche Eishockey Liga on a brief hiatus before restarting in the new year, it’s time to look at the progress of Britain’s brightest hockey export.
Liam Kirk opted for a bold move by signing with Eisbären Berlin on a two-year deal this past summer.
As one of the league’s founder members and most successful teams in terms of championship success, expectations are extremely high for the club based in the German capital.
One of the goals for Berlin this season was a more fruitful Champions Hockey League campaign.
After an opening loss to crack Swedish outfit Växjö Lakers, Berlin reeled off three successive victories.
A heavy 9-3 loss to Fribourg-Gottéron was followed by a 9-0 thumping of SønderjyskE Vojens to send the Polar Bears into the Round of 16.
It was written in the stars that Kirk would meet his hometown club after Sheffield had upset the odds in the qualifying stages.
The British forward recorded two points during the first tie in Sheffield as Berlin won 5-3 and qualification through to the quarter-final was earned with a 4-2 success in Germany.
Swiss outfit ZSC Lions Zurich was a tough draw but Berlin came close to progressing to the semi-final after a less than ideal start.
After losing 4-3 on home ice, the Polar Bears went to Switzerland without the services of the injured Kirk.
Hopes were raised after a dominating first period in which Berlin built a 3-0 lead. Zurich chipped away and would eventually clinch a 5-4 victory, winning the tie 9-7 on aggregate.
With the Champions Hockey League campaign at an end, the focus is now set on winning the league championship.
Two losses in the opening four DEL games were not on the agenda but Berlin rallied with an eleven-game win streak (four in overtime).
The Polar Bears currently sit second in the table, five points behind ERC Ingolstadt with a game in hand and the league title looks like a two-horse race.
Ingolstadt leads the season series with Berlin 2-1, having most recently handed the Polar Bears a 6-1 thumping before Christmas.
Three successive victories since then have gotten Berlin back on track and heading into the new year on a positive footing.
By his own admission, Liam Kirk will be disappointed by his production (1G/3A in nine games) in the Champions League.
The same cannot be said about the British forward in the DEL this season.
Kirk has fared well in various metrics, starting with the basics.
Ticking along at a point-per-game pace through 26 outings has him ranked 17th in overall league scoring and fourth on Berlin.
Kirk is ranked 12th in goals with thirteen, tied for second on Berlin.
Delving into more advanced statistics paints Kirk’s performances in an even better light.
Corsi For % = 62.62% (Third in DEL) (For reference, the Team Corsi For % is 55.68 – Third in DEL )
Fenwick For % = 61% (Ninth in DEL)
XG Differential = 2.48 (26th in DEL)
The DEL points per 60 statistics aren’t available for the general public (unless anyone can tell me differently!), so the following is all my work.
P/60 = 3.64
G/60 = 1.82
PrimaryP/60 = 2.38
EvenStrengthP/60 = 2.96
ESG/60 = 1.97
ESPP/60 = 2.47
In isolation those numbers look excellent but only by comparison can you give a rating to what Kirk has achieved.
The leading scorer in the DEL at the time of writing is Evan Barratt with 39 points in thirty games. His P/60 is 3.87 but he has played almost two hundred more minutes than Kirk and is the go-to offensive player for the struggling Nürnberg Ice Tigers.
The next two leading scorers are Berlin teammates so moving down to fourth we find Alex Breton of the league-leading ERC Ingolstadt.
Breton’s P/60 is 2.77 through a staggering 735 minutes of ice time (second most in DEL),
Kirk’s managed ice time plus missing four games is not so much a negative as he’ll be fresher in the second half of the season.
It also shows how impactful he has been despite a situation where building chemistry is problematic.
Kirk has moved between all three top lines, playing both wings and centre when called upon and at the time of writing having eight different linemates.
Since returning from injury, Kirk has points in four of his last five games, including a first professional hat trick.
2025 has the potential to be very successful for the Maltby native with the opportunity to win the first championship of his career.
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