LW Kieran Brown - Sheffield Steelers, EIHL (2019 Draft)
- Thread starter Appleyard
- Start date
Not convinced this was a good idea. Does he plan on coming over to the CHL next year?
He needs to face better competition if he wants to make it. He's still a question mark at this point.
He needs to face better competition if he wants to make it. He's still a question mark at this point.
The competition he faced last year in the T1EHL was fine. He just didn't look very good against it. A little bit of offensive skill, but not enough to make up for the fact that everything else is a huge liability. He's young, so maybe he'll grow up a bit, but he's back in England because there wasn't a USHL team remotely interested in him. The fact that he's succeeding over there makes me think less of British hockey more than it makes me think higher of him.
Siamese Dream
Registered User
Brown used to be considered the country's best prospect due to his unprecedented numbers in juniors (even better than Brendan Perlini at under 12 level). The move back to England was absolutely baffling to me and will backfire horrendously. Even if he couldn't get a shot in USHL he could have probably found a place in NAHL and even the new NCDC or USPHL where lesser British prospects have played. He has done impressive things in Blackburn so far but the level of the 2nd tier isn't what it used to be and he's either going to be stuck there being a one-dimensional scorer against lesser opponents or get turned into a checker playing in Sheffield like so many before him who have tried to play in the EIHL when they're not ready.
Kirk flew somewhat under the radar somewhat until he was in under 16s but is a more complete player and the better prospect at this point.
Kirk flew somewhat under the radar somewhat until he was in under 16s but is a more complete player and the better prospect at this point.
ChaiTiefling
Registered User
First pro goal last night at 10:59 on the vid, past ex-Dallas farmhand Tyler Beskorowany.
Apologies in advance for the Valentines jerseys.
Apologies in advance for the Valentines jerseys.
How does he compare to Kirk? Looking at stats I see he's got 3 points in 14 games, while Kirk had 0 points in 19 games last year. Looks like he outproduced Kirk at the England U16 levels but I dont know anything about those leagues or how competitive they are
ChaiTiefling
Registered User
Would say Kirk is definitely the better and more complete player, but Brown seems to the better pure scorer of the two with a little more of an aggressive style. Of the two, I'd bank on Kirk going further. U16 stats aren't a great comparison, Brown's been a standout at every age group since U10s in Bradford so stepped up early on while Kirk has emerged in the last five years in a slightly deeper junior system.
Appleyard
Registered User
He is getting more time when he does play than Kirk last year I reckon from watching...
Kirk also got 2g in 8 Challenge Cup games last year, those games are vs exactly the same teams as EIHL.
and Kirk is twice the all-around player. (that last video Kirk was actually the guy who got the tertiary assist winning the draw.)
Brown probably has more 'natural' offensive talent. But not sure it will count for much vs Kirk.
Siamese Dream
Registered User
Bradford is a small junior setup compared to Sheffield and from an early age Brown played the type of game where he did everything himself, then as he got older when good players started to move to Bradford to play with him he played the type of game where he would just look for guys to get the puck to him and get a breakaway, at least from what I saw of him at tournaments. I can't really knock the coaching at Bradford since they have managed to produce some good players recently relative to their resources but it seems to be mostly skill focused coaching, whereas at Sheffield, a traditionally stronger and deeper junior club, Kirk was taught how to play the right way. Brown had a couple of years in the US playing catch-up in that regard.
A good comparison is when I used to see a lot of the Okanagan Academy games when Pete Russell was in charge, they had the individual talent to skate through the entire opposition team and score, and really run up the score against most teams, but they were taught to play the game properly and would set up and take their time. I expect this is why we see a discrepancy in the stats between Kirk and Brown when they were younger.
A good comparison is when I used to see a lot of the Okanagan Academy games when Pete Russell was in charge, they had the individual talent to skate through the entire opposition team and score, and really run up the score against most teams, but they were taught to play the game properly and would set up and take their time. I expect this is why we see a discrepancy in the stats between Kirk and Brown when they were younger.
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Newfoundland
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Siamese Dream
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