The Pittsburgh Penguins have selected forward Liam Ruck with their top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Ruck was taken as the 22nd overall selection in the first round.
The 6-foot, 174-pound forward recorded 104 points (45G-59A) in 68 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League in 2025-26. Ruck, 18, ranked second in the WHL in points and goals and fifth in assists this past season. Ruck also tallied 12 points (8G-4A) in 14 WHL playoff games. He was named to the WHL (East) First All-Star Team.
In parts of three seasons in the WHL, all with Medicine Hat, he registered 71 goals, 76 assists and 147 points in 132 career games. The forward also recorded 22 points (14G-8A) in 33 career playoff games. In 2024-25, Ruck led all WHL rookies with 25 goals and won the WHL title with the Tigers.
The Osoyoos, British Columbia native represented Team Canada at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he tallied three points (2G-1A) in five games en route to a bronze medal.
Ruck is scheduled to return to Medicine Hat for the 2026-27 season and is committed to the University of North Dakota for the fall of 2027.
