"Kirk Stevens has done for snooker what Persil did for washing, what Kermit did for frogs and what Tarzan did for the jungle. In other words, he has layered the game with pink and white marzipan, made it nice, touched it with the Sound of Music and Mary Poppins and left it bubbling with show-biz home-cooked schmaltz.”
- Ted Corbett Daily Star

“I remember the last black and I feel like I got a slight kick, and I thought not now. And I watched the black stay to the high side of the pocket, so when it went in, it was as much relief as it was celebration.”
- Kirk Stevens

“He was good enough to win the World Championship, I know that for a fact.”
- Cliff Thorburn

Kirk Stevens is a seven-time national champion who at the height of his career was ranked fourth in the world. He began playing snooker very young and by age 12, he had already joined the coveted list of individual players to make a century break, running 13 red and 13 blacks scoring 104 points.

In 1978 he represented Canada at the World Amateur Championship in Rabat, Malta demonstrating his characteristic ability to enjoy playing under pressure by whitewashing local hero Paul Mifsud 5-0 in the quarterfinal in front of the 3000 chanting Maltese spectators crammed into the venue. The victory made Stevens the first Canadian to ever reach the semi-final. He was beaten by eventual winner Cliff Wilson.

He turned professional at age 20 and first competed in the World Professional Championships at the celebrated Crucible Theatre in 1979 but was defeated in the first round by snooker legend, Fred Davis an eight-time World Champion. The following year, Stevens became the youngest ever semi-finalist at the 1980 Embassy World Championship, losing 16-13 to former World Champion Alex Higgins. That year, Stevens and Steve Davis tied for the recorded highest break of the competition, a 136, and Stevens’ accomplishments won him the Joe Davis Young Player of the Year Award.

The match between Stevens and England’s Jimmy White in the semi-final of the 1984 World Championship is widely regarded among snooker enthusiasts as one of the all-time great battles and a match that has “stood the test of time,” with both young players known for their flair and attacking style. The match was eventually won 16-14 by Jimmy White; a victory that made White the youngest ever world finalist.

In 1982 he was a member of the first Canadian team to win the World Team Championship, along with Cliff Thorburn and Bill Werbeniuk when Canada defeated the English side of Steve Davis, Jimmy White and Tony Knowles by 4-2 in the final.

One of Stevens’ most publicized career highlights came in 1984 when he achieved a maximum break of 147 in a televised match at the Benson & Hedges Masters. Interestingly, legendary Canadian actor Donald Sutherland was in attendance, and having arrived late to the match, witnessed Stevens’ 147 as the first live frame of snooker he had ever seen. Stevens’ 147 was only the third official maximum in professional competition.

Stevens reached the final of the 1984 New Zealand Masters, 1985 British Open, 1986 Belgian Classic and the 1986 Pot Black and made 14 semi-final appearances at ranking and non-ranking world events. He spent 15 years as a professional, nine of those in the top-24 in the world, and four in the top-8; he ranked 4th in the world for in the 1984/1985 season.

Stevens was Canadian Amateur Champion in 1978, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2008; and Canadian Professional Champion in 1983 making him the only player to win a Canadian national championship in four consecutive decades.

Known for his electrifying playing style, distinctive manner of dress - often appearing at major tournaments wearing an all-white or half-white suit, as opposed to the traditional black suit – and pop star good looks; renowned snooker writer Jack Karnham credited Stevens for widening the appeal of snooker and making it popular among female viewers. He was also legendary for his friendliness and approachability, something that earned him the respect and adoration of fans worldwide.

In recognition of his pre-eminence in Canada, his achievements on the professional tour and his contribution to the popularity of Canadian snooker, Kirk Stevens was inducted into the Canadian Snooker Hall of Fame in 1996.