Liam Ruck
Position: RW
Shoots: R
6’0” 176lbs
Stats: GP: 68, G: 45, A: 59, P: 104, PIM: 36
After what would be considered as only a decent start by his standards, Liam Ruck exploded offensively in the second half of the 2025-26 WHL season. Finishing the year second in WHL scoring, only behind his twin brother, is something that not many people would have predicted for Ruck in his draft-eligible season. The re-introduction of Andrew Basha into the Tigers' lineup certainly helped Ruck produce more, but the same can be said the other way. Ruck thinks the game at such a high level that at times his teammates aren’t able to process things as quickly as he does, which results in plays not developing into anything, but adding a player like Basha has given him another option for a player who he can play off very well and create plays that others can’t.
Just looking at the offensive numbers at a glance, it would seem like a no-brainer that Ruck would be going in the first round of the NHL draft, but there are some concerns with regards to the translatability of his skills to the next level. Playing on a high powered offensive team like the Medicine Hat Tigers this season has certainly helped increase his point totals but I believe he still deserves a lot of credit for putting up over 100 points in his 17 year old season. Some people think it can be easy to play with high level players but it takes a certain skill to be able to not only play with those players, but excel alongside them and generate on your own as well. You need to be able to think the game at a high level in order to understand how your teammates are going to react in certain situations so you can put yourself in the best opportunity to succeed.
The two main questions surrounding Ruck right now are: how early will a team take a chance on a player who put up the numbers that he did, and will he and his twin brother, Markus, get selected to the same team? Having played together at every level, from minor hockey to OHA academy to the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers, the chemistry that the brothers show with one another could be very intriguing for an NHL team. The way to get the best out of either of them might just be to have both of them together.
Skating
Grade: 50
Skating has never been the calling card of Liam or his twin brother Markus, but they haven’t let it stop them. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that the skating is a problem in Liam’s game, it just isn’t his strongest attribute. His edgework and agility are still very good, he just lacks the explosiveness and foot speed that could be beneficial at the next level. We have seen players still able to excel at the NHL level without a powerful stride or explosive speed, like a Jason Robertson, for example, but it usually means that the player needs to make up for it in other areas of his game. Whether it be his IQ, his shot or another trait, something needs to set him apart from everyone else if the speed isn’t there. If he is able to add the quick first step, I believe it would go a long way for him and make the transition to the next level just that much easier.
No doubt for me, his edges are his strongest skating tool. He has the ability to change direction on a dime and use his shiftiness to get around opposing players when he can’t beat them with speed. Where he is able to be most effective with his edgework, however, is down low in the offensive zone with the puck. He spins off defenders and protects the puck very well for someone of his size. His ability to evade defenders in the offensive zone allows him to create scoring chances from seemingly nothing by getting out of the corner and getting to the net or setting up a teammate in a high danger area. He can turn a play that seemingly looks to be no threat into a scoring chance quickly by getting out of pressure with the puck.
Although it will likely never be his calling card at the next level, I certainly don’t anticipate his skating to be something that will greatly hold him back going forward in his career.
I like this clip for a multitude of reasons, but with regards to the skating, Ruck uses his edges to pick up and protect the puck behind the net before showing a good burst of speed to lead to the play up ice. He then shows his intelligence to intercept the puck and shows some great skill to maintain possession for another chance.
As soon as the puck is turned over in this clip, Ruck immediately jumps and shows good speed to catch the opposing player just enough to break up the rush chance for the other team.
In this clip, Ruck spins quickly upon receiving the puck to evade the forechecking pressure, then he skates the puck down ice and kicks out wide before driving to the net, although he unfortunately doesn’t get the pass back on his way to the net.
This is an example of a time where the lack of foot speed for Ruck can hinder his game, as he is quickly caught by the opposing player, forcing him to try and make a pass too early, resulting in an offside.
When I watch this clip, the penalty that Ruck ends up taking to me is a result of a lack of speed and pressure on the forecheck. The defender is able to get away too easily, which forces Ruck to reach in and ends up taking an offensive zone penalty.
Shot
Grade: 55
Liam’s shot is a standout trait for him; it allows him to stand out above other junior players. He has a lightning quick release that allows him to get shots off quickly and in areas that other players simply can’t. As a catch and release shooter, he limits his windup, and the load period is instantaneous; it’s almost always a quick snapshot that surprises the goalie.
His accuracy is also very good as he is able to pick corners very effectively from the wing or coming down the slot. His shot might not be the hardest in the league, so that would be the one element of his shot that could use the most work, but that doesn’t stop him from being very dangerous from all over the offensive zone. He has shown an ability to score from distance as well as in tight, making him a constant shooting threat when he has the pick in the offensive zone. The kind of player that defenders can’t let out of their sight for a second, because if they do, Ruck will be in a shooting position and the puck will be in the back of the net before you know it.
One of the underrated areas of his game is his ability to score down low. He re-directs pucks very well, is able to elevate from very in tight to the net, and has an array of moves that allow him to beat goalies in close. Later in the season, Ruck transitioned to play more and more in front of the net on the power play despite his size, and that is because he is still able to score from those areas. His overall scoring ability is definitely one of the elements that make him such a dangerous player in the WHL.
With the speed of the game these days and the increase in speed as you move up to pro hockey, being able to release it quickly like Ruck can is crucial. Players rarely find themselves with enough time and space on the ice to have a big wind up, but even if they do, goalies are so good and so athletic that you can’t give them the time to get ready for a shot which makes having a quick release crucial.
What is so impressive about this play is Ruck’s ability to elevate the puck with such a quick release in tight. It is a skill that not many players at this age can do as effectively, and it has helped Ruck score 45 goals this season. This play was ultimately reviewed and called a good goal as the puck did fully cross the line.
This goal is all about the speed of the release. It isn’t a big wind up one-timer, but the puck is on his stick for less than a split second which doesn’t allow for the goalie to get set for the shot, leading to a goal.
In this play, Ruck has a little more time with the puck, which allows him to show his ability to change the angle of his release and beat the goalie cleanly from the top of the circle. This skill has become more and more popular in the game, and Ruck shows why it is so valuable.
Many people might not realize the accuracy and skill that it takes to beat a goalie on a shot like this from this distance. The vast majority of players will corral the pass and try to get a shot off, but Ruck just fires it immediately and cleanly beats the goalie from 50+ feet.
Skills
Grade: 55
When it comes to puck skill, that is another area where Ruck finds himself a level above his peers in junior hockey. He isn’t going to “wow” you with lightning fast hands, but he just has an ability to be able to hold onto pucks and beat defenders 1 on 1. A big part of his ability to get around players is knowing what they are going to do so that he can put the puck into positions that benefit him. His passing ability is another area he does very well, while his brother may be the more pass first of the two, Liam still has a great ability to find teammates in scoring areas.
Off the rush, Ruck can at times generate chances, but it is not where his game excels. He is able to make most of his plays at full speed and can find other teammates streaking to the net, but more often than not, he will curl back with the puck or slow it down and wait for more teammates before making a play. The skill that he is able to do most effectively at full speed is his shot. Without breaking stride, Ruck can release a quick snapshot with good pace and great accuracy.
He can be effective using his skill on the rush, but I believe where he most excels is down low in the offensive zone. He has a great ability to spin off defenders and use quick changes in direction to create open space for him to skate into. He also uses his skill very well in front of the goal, using quick dekes to beat the goalie in tight. When you think of players being effective in the corners and behind the net, a lot of the time it’s bigger players who use their size to their advantage, but Ruck is able to do it and be effective despite being a smaller player. What has allowed him to do so is being deceptive with the puck, and tricking defenders to beat them to scoring areas. When time and space go away as they do at higher levels, being able to make plays without any space becomes more and more important.
Here, Ruck makes a nice spin off the defender before making a beautiful move to his backhand to get around another defenceman and get to the net for a scoring chance.
This pass may not look incredibly difficult, but it certainly is. To be able to sell the shot and slide a backdoor pass perfectly to a teammate at this speed and with defenders nearby, is a very impressive thing to be able to do and make it look as easy as Ruck did.
What I love about this clip is he jumps on the puck off a lost draw, beats the defenceman with a beautiful move and immediately sends a nice backhand pass to his teammate skating down the slot resulting in a goal.
This clip is a great example of where Ruck slows the game down and waits for help rather than challenging the defenceman one on one. He makes a nice move to the middle, buying time for his teammate before giving him a nice pass streaking to the net.
Smarts
Grade: 55
Given that his skating is only adequate, his hockey IQ is what has helped him remain a very effective player. If you don’t skate at a super high pace, being able to process the game at that high pace is a very useful way to overcome that. Doing things like going to areas before the play develops means you don’t have to be the fastest skater, as other players don’t even see that play developing yet, so you can still beat them there. The main knock I have with Ruck’s intelligence is that at times, he needs to make a quick, simple play, where he has the tendency to hold onto it, looking for a “better” play, which can result in turnovers. More times than not, he makes the right play, but that tendency does sneak into his game from time to time and at the next level, you really have to take that out of your game and focus on good, simple plays.
Being able to make others play the game at your pace is another way to combat a lack of foot speed, and Ruck is very capable of doing that. I believe that is one of the most under-appreciated skill sets that a player can have. If you look at someone like Nikita Kucherov, he is never in a panic mode out there and forces everyone to play at the pace that he wants to, which has allowed him to be one of the most dangerous offensive players in the NHL for the last 8+ years. By no means am I comparing Ruck to Kucherov, but if he is able to take even a small amount of that from Kucherov’s game, and add it to his own, it will benefit him greatly at the next level. Plays like quick changes in pace and using deception are two of the many ways to accomplish that on the ice.
Ruck also shows a great understanding of the defensive side of the game, which has earned him a penalty killing role on the Tigers this season. He isn't an elite level shot blocker or anything like that but he understands the game so well that he is constantly in lanes to intercept plays that the opposing team is trying to make. You don’t get many 100 point players in the WHL who are also consistently used and effective on the penalty kill.
When he and his brother start moving the puck around the offensive zone, you can see how well they read off one another, and although he might not be able to read everyone that well, it still shows a level of intelligence that not many WHL players have.
This whole shift, Ruck does an incredible job of supporting the play to be an option for his teammates. After making a nice backhand pass, he follows the play and finds the quiet ice in the slot, which results in a great chance and very nearly a goal for Ruck.
Although this clip was already included, I also wanted to highlight the ability Ruck shows to turn a nothing play in the defensive zone into a great chance in the offensive zone, which is a very important ability. His hockey IQ also allowed him to keep the play alive after it looked like the chance was gone, and they were able to create another chance out of it.
This is just a special “sedin-like” play between Liam and his twin brother, Markus. The ability for them to know where each other are on the ice and get the opposition completely lost in the defensive zone is very special and something not many players can do.
This clip shows how he processes the game a step quicker than others on the ice. Everyone thinks he is going to drop the pass back to his brother, but he quickly chips a backhand pass to a streaking teammate who gets behind the defence for a goal.
Physicality and Compete
Grade: 52.5
The area where Ruck’s game lacks the most is certainly the physicality. Being a smaller player, he can definitely be muscled off the puck from time to time, which is concerning with regards to him moving up to pro hockey, where the players are bigger and stronger. Improving his strength and conditioning is something pretty crucial for Ruck. He will never be a physical force, but being able to hold his own in battles will be very important for him.
On the forecheck, Ruck can be effective, but usually not as an F1. He is better sitting back and reading the play as it develops to close on players rather than pressuring players hard to force turnovers. I would like to see more hard pressure on the puck to force the defenders to make a quick play and potentially turn it over, rather than them having time to find a good outlet. When playing against better players, they don’t need as much time to make a play, so you need to be able to close on them that much quicker than you would in junior.
He does have a level of compete to his game, it’s just the effectiveness can sometimes lack due to the aforementioned physicality gaps. Ruck also has no issue with buying in on the defensive side of the game, as he has found himself killing penalties, primarily with his twin brother, this season. To carve out a role for yourself in the NHL, there needs to be a certain level of buy-in and compete regardless of the skill level of the player. I don’t see that being an issue with Ruck at all. I see a willingness in him to grow and develop, which will ultimately give him the best chance to succeed at the next level.
I love the jump Ruck has immediately off the face-off to get to the loose puck and dump it deep in the offensive zone. He then follows that up with hard pressure and even lays a big hit on the defenceman.
In this clip, I really like that Ruck got the puck in deep and showed a great ability to beat the defenceman to the puck and retrieve to create a scoring chance for his team.
This is a play where you see Ruck get easily muscled off the puck, and you would like to see him compete much harder in order to regain possession of the puck for his team.
Here, Ruck lays a nice hit on the defenceman and stays in the play to rejoin the battle on the other side and help the Tigers win possession of the puck in the offensive zone.
In this clip, the puck is dumped into the corner on Ruck’s side of the ice, forcing him to be F1. I would like to see him pressure the defenceman a lot harder to force him to make a play, whereas in this clip, he is passive and needs his teammates to help regain possession.
Final Result
OFP: 53.375
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.