Liam Steele headlines a strong core of young UK players returning to these shores.
It’s too early to make such a bold statement, but I believe this could be an incredible acquisition for the Steelers organisation.
If you’ve followed me on social media and/or read my blog before you’ll know I’ve a lot of time for Liam Steele.
A 6’4”, 225lbs right shot defenseman, Steele was scouted heavily and rated as a ‘C’ prospect (83rd overall) in the Mid-Term North American Skaters rankings.
A combination of the pandemic and a lack of ice-time thereafter stalled his development and the dream of being selected in the NHL draft passed Steele by in 2022 and 2023.
He was coveted by the highly vaunted USHL outfit Chicago Steel (a big deal in itself) but committed to play in the BCHL and earned a place with Ivy League University Cornell.
The latter is no mean feat and Steele is an exceedingly fine student who was an honour roll student at Stanstead College and enrolled in the College of Engineering at Cornell.
He may come across as quiet and assuming but Steele is a smart young man and a deep thinker about life and hockey.
Despite not featuring in a competitive game for the ‘Big Red’, Steele made history by becoming the first English player in Cornell’s program history.
Towering right-handed defencemen don’t grow on tree’s, so it’s no surprise that he received multiple offers when teams realised he was a free agent.
Through junior, Steele learnt to use his frame to his advantage and improved his gap control through time in the BCHL.
A strength of his game is leading breakouts and being especially comfortable with the puck on his stick across all three zones.
Possessing a booming slapshot, I imagine Steele will quickly become a Steeldogs favourite as his offensive tendencies will flourish after settling in and gaining some confidence.
As per the Yorkshire Post https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/other-sport/sheffield-steelers-and-sheffield-steeldogs-out-to-help-rising-star-liam-steele-reach-his-ceiling-5153035 the 21-year-old defenceman has signed on a two-way deal between the Sheffield Steelers and NIHL National affiliate Sheffield Steeldogs.
“He has an extremely high ceiling,” said Fox. “There’s not been a lot of game time these last couple of years for him but he trained and practiced with that group at Cornell and his size and skating kind of sets him apart in my opinion.
“I feel like he’s going to be a guy who comes over and really competes for ice time at our level. I am a huge fan of what he can bring to the table and now it’s on myself and Slava to make sure that we develop properly into what he could be.
Steeldogs website: https://www.steeldogs.co.uk/huge-in-more-ways-than-one-two-way-signing-as-liam-steele-joins-the-club/
Liam Steele – “I’m excited to announce that I’ve signed with Sheffield for the upcoming season. It’s a tremendous opportunity to join such a great organization, and I can’t wait to hit the ice and get started.”
“Over the past five years, I’ve had the privilege of playing in North America — most recently at Cornell University, and before that in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The journey has been an incredible one, and I’ll always be grateful to the coaches and teammates who’ve helped me grow both on and off the ice.”
“What makes this moment even more special to me is the chance to return to the UK — to the place where my love for hockey first began. I feel immensely fortunate to come full circle, and I hope to give back to the game that’s given me so much”.
With the appropriate development and ice time, Liam Steele could become a highly sought-after player in the next year or two and will doubtless be challenging to be a part of the national team’s blue line.
There are very few 21-year-old players in the UK with his ceiling and potential heading into the 2025/26 season.
UK Hockey Blog 