Overview
- Liam Ruck was taken 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft and is expected to return to junior hockey for the 2026–27 season.
- Ruck scored 45 goals and 59 assists for 104 points in 68 regular-season games for the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2025–26 and added 8 goals and 4 assists in 14 playoff games.
- Scouts praise Ruck as a high-IQ finisher with a quick, accurate release and strong net presence while flagging questions about his physical engagement, defensive compete, and the need to add strength to his 6-foot, 176-pound frame.
- Pittsburgh kept its first-round pick at No. 22 and chose Ruck to fit general manager Kyle Dubas’s model of a polished junior scorer who can be developed on a multi-year timetable.
- Ruck has committed to the University of North Dakota for 2027–28 and his twin brother Markus finished one spot ahead of him in WHL scoring, a pairing that could factor into Pittsburgh’s prospect plans and future draft moves.