Comparisons: Ben Handberg vs Zach Steele

by Eric Balnar

We're only one week away from the much anticipated (and sold out!) opening game of the NHSL between the Port Adelaide Brewers and Noarlunga Stars. 

The crowd will be packed. The teams will be fired up. The action will be full-on.

There's one match up that could define the game. It's a battle between two 19-year-old rising stars: Ben Handberg (Brewers) vs Zach Steele (Stars).

You wouldn't be wrong in saying a battle between high-flying Jake Riley (Stars) vs perennial scoring powerhouse Steve Best (Brewers) will be fun to watch. Don't worry, they'll do their thing.

Hey, even a tilt between two of South Australia's best defenseman in Jake Hazel vs Zach Boyle will be interesting.

But Steele and Handberg are expected to anchor the second line and their similarities are uncanny. 

Both players are born in January 2002. In fact, they were born just two days apart. 

Zach Steele is listed at 188cm. Ben Handberg is listed at 186cm. 

Both players spent time playing hockey in Canada during high school.

Both were on South Australian state teams. 

They're both so highly skilled and have the potential to change the game.

Neither player has had a true chance to showcase their true potential. Each athlete was away during High School, and then COVID-19 cancelled the last two AIHL seasons. 

That changes on Friday.

Noarlunga Stars Head Coach Sami Mantere says the sky is the limit for Steele. 

“Zach is a player who’s arguably got one of the highest ceilings as a hockey player out of all the players in the state," he says. "He’s got the size, drive, skills and grit to be an absolute top player not only on state leagues but also nationally. We are banking that we can help him unleash that potential.”

Steele was the youngest captain in the Premier League. He anchored the Blackhawks blue line but he's more suited as a forward. That's where he'll play in the NHSL. 

He led the Hawks with17 points in 20 games on a team that struggled to find the back of the net consistently.

Meanwhile, Ben Handberg played second tier minutes on a Jokers team that featured Nathaniel Benson and Jake Riley. Those two players have have finished 1-2 in scoring this year, but Handberg is not to be overlooked.

One player told me: "I think Ben has the best shot in the league. He's got such a quick release, he positions himself well, you have to be aware of him at all times."

Handberg finished 9th in the league in scoring with 25 points (16 goals) in just 17 games. 

I would expect these to players to go head-to-head on the second line. 

It should be fun. Let's see what happens. 

It's almost show time.