Liam Beer of Fort Macleod will continue his hockey career this season with the Montana Technological University Orediggers in Butte, Mont.
A Fort Macleod defenceman will continue his hockey career this season with a U.S. university.
Liam Beer, 18, will patrol the blue line for Montana Technological University in Butte, Mont.
“I’d never really considered playing at college,” Beer said. “My parents signed me up for a scouting Web site and then I started getting e-mails from several schools in the States.”
Beer was contacted by several schools who invited him to camps and skating sessions, and he had lengthy conversations with a coach from a school in Lake Placid, New York.
“I really liked welding and wanted to do something in that field and the schools we were in contact with didn’t offer that,” Beer said.
That changed when Montana Tech scout Mike Langdon, who is also an assistant coach with Beer’s team the Lethbridge Mustangs, spoke about Montana Tech and its welding opportunities.
“He (Langdon) invited me to a prospect camp for the school,” Beer said. “I decided to check it out. I liked what I saw at the school and I must have played well enough for them to invite me down.”
“In the end, I wanted to do something in the welding field and Montana Tech was the only one that offered this. Also, I liked Butte’s proximity to home and how it gave me the ability to come home and visit more easily.”
Beer is enrolled in mechanical engineering with a specialization in welding technology.
“Right now I’m focused on finishing my degree. Once I’m finished school I will see what opportunities are out there in my field. I’ve really enjoyed working for Falcan Industries here in town so continuing welding with them when I’m not at school would be great.”
When he’s not in the classroom in Butte, Beer will be on the ice with the Orediggers, who play in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
The team is made up of players from Canada and the United States.
The Orediggers are rebuilding the hockey program, which was shut down temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The five foot 11, 160-pound Beer plays a solid defensive game with an offensive upside.
“I like to move the puck and make plays that lead to goal-scoring opportunities. I also like to play physically and separate players from the puck.”
Beer takes pride in playing a disciplined style, doing what his coaches ask. He is a strong skater who plays a physical style, and is not afraid to stand up for his teammates.
Beer continues to develop his game.
“I’d like to work on my shot,” he said. “I feel that it could have more power.”
Beer, who graduated in June from F.P. Walshe school, played multiple sports growing up including soccer, volleyball and baseball.
“I’ve always loved hockey the most and taken it the most seriously,” he explained. “ But, it probably became my true number 1 and I dedicated more to it in my second year of Bantam (U15) when I left Fort Macleod to play for the Mustangs.”
After playing with Fort Macleod Minor Hockey at various age levels, Beer was forced to find a new team when the Mavericks were unable to ice a U15 team.
The Mustangs are a Lethbridge-based team that plays in the Premier Hockey League, which is not affiliated with Hockey Alberta or Hockey Canada.
Leaving his Fort Macleod teammates to skate with the Mustangs was bittersweet.
“I had a lot of great teammates in Macleod and it was hard to not be playing with some of those people who I grew up playing with. That was definitely the hardest part. I really enjoyed my years playing for the Mavericks. I still have a lot of friends from those teams.”
The positive side of the move was that playing for the Mustangs in the PHL helped Beer develop to plays a more complex and faster game than he was used to.
“Playing at that speed forced me to step up and be a better player. There was more practice time that was focused on developing more advanced individual and team skills.”
Beer credits Mustangs coach Jesse Depew with guiding his development over the past four years, particularly with individual skills.
“He’s also taught me a lot of hockey knowledge when it comes to hockey systems and game-play.”
The teenager also credits the support he has received from family — particulary his father Nick — on his hockey journey.
“He’s driven me all over the province and coached when teams needed coaches,” Liam said. “He even took me to Latvia a year ago to play hockey. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without the time and effort he’s put into me playing the game.”
Liam Beer heads to Butte, Montana on Aug. 19, leaving behind family and friends in Fort Macleod on the next step on his hockey journey.
“That’s the hardest part of going. I’ve never not been able to rely on my family and I won’t have them close by down there. I also have so many good friendships, so to leave them behind after 18 years doesn’t feel great.”
