Penguins Draft Liam Ruck 22nd Overall

With the 22nd pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins have selected Liam Ruck from the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

About Liam Ruck

Liam Ruck entered the 2026 NHL Entry Draft as one of the best pure finishers in the class and one of its fastest risers. The Medicine Hat Tigers winger reads the game a step ahead, finds soft ice without the puck, and owns a quick, accurate release that plays around the net. He is not the flashiest player on the ice, but he tends to make the right read and put himself where goals get scored.

Ruck spent 2025-26 alongside his twin brother Markus, and the two finished first and second in Western Hockey League (WHL) scoring. Liam was the runner-up with 104 points (45 goals, 59 assists) in 68 games, with his 45 goals tying for the team lead and earning him a spot on the WHL East First All-Star Team. He helped Medicine Hat to a 50-win season and a run to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Championship, a year after the Tigers won the 2025 WHL Championship. His international resume includes a bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with Canada.

Ruck climbed boards all season and entered draft weekend as a mid-to-late first-round projection, with the upside of a riser who sneaks into the lottery. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 20th among North American skaters in its final list. The open questions are physical engagement and defensive-zone compete, and he will need to add strength to his 6-foot, 176-pound frame, but the offensive intelligence is real. Dobber Prospects pegs his pro comparison between Sam Steel and Troy Terry, the profile of a middle-six scorer who can help a power play.

THW Prospect Profile Excerpt

Ruck’s excellent 2025-26 season helped him climb up draft boards considerably. Playing alongside his twin brother Markus, he established himself as both a goal scorer and distributor to help guide the Tigers to the second-best record in the Western Hockey League and a lengthy playoff run.

Ruck’s biggest strength is unquestionably his offense. He is an incredibly intelligent offensive player, always aware of the situation on the ice and able to make quick decisions with the puck. Although not particularly flashy, he almost always makes the correct play, even while doing an excellent job at disguising his next move. He uses his size to drive to the net and is a very good finisher at close range, thanks to being unafraid of placing himself right around the crease.

Ruck has improved his draft stock a lot this season. Right now, he looks like a mid-to-late first-round pick. However, the NHL Entry Draft almost always features at least one riser who makes their way into the lottery, and Ruck is absolutely a candidate to do so this year.

Continue reading the full player profile here.

How This Affects the Penguins’ Plans

Pittsburgh came in with one first-round pick at No. 22 and, despite chatter about trading up, stayed put and took Ruck. He fits the profile general manager Kyle Dubas and his staff keep targeting: a productive, high-IQ junior scorer they can let develop on their own timeline. Ruck adds a pure finisher to a prospect pool Dubas has rebuilt from bare, one already deep up front with the likes of Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen. With the tail end of the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era still in place, the Penguins are in no rush, so Ruck heads back to the WHL for another season. If his shot and scoring translate, he projects as a middle-six scorer for the next Pittsburgh core.