#CHLStats: Ruck brothers, Pickford and the player performances that defined 2025-26

By Christopher Séguin March 27, 2026

If the 2025-26 season was memorable for what teams accomplished, it was just as remarkable for the individual performances that helped define it.

Across the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), players rewrote record books, led historic offensive surges and produced seasons that now rank among the most impressive in recent memory.

The Ruck brothers make CHL history

No individual storyline stood out more in 2025-26 than the one authored by Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) forwards Markus and Liam Ruck.

The twin brothers from Osoyoos, B.C., became the first siblings in CHL history to finish first and second in league scoring in the same season. The 2026 NHL Draft prospects also became the first brothers ever to place 1-2 in scoring within a Member League.

Markus Ruck finished atop the CHL with 108 points (21G-87A) in 68 games, while Liam Ruck was right behind him with 104 points (45G-59A) in 68 contests.

For Markus, the scoring title also placed him in elite company historically. He became the first Medicine Hat Tigers skater since Linden Vey in 2010-11 to lead the CHL in scoring, while also becoming just the second player in franchise history to win the CHL Top Scorer Award.

2025-26 CHL leading scorers (click here for the complete list)
1. Markus Ruck – Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL – 108 points (68 GP)
2. Liam Ruck – Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL – 104 points (68 GP)
3. Maxim Massé – Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL – 102 points (63 GP)
4. Cameron Schmidt – Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL – 100 points (72 GP)
T5. JP Hurlbert – Kamloops Blazers / WHL – 97 points (68 GP)
T5. Nikita Klepov – Saginaw Spirit / OHL – 97 points (67 GP)

Markus Ruck joins a notable group of draft-eligibles

Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) centre and 2026 NHL Draft prospect Markus Ruck also became the ninth first-year NHL Draft-eligible player since 2000 to lead the CHL in scoring.

That list includes Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit / 2024-25), Connor Bedard (Regina Pats / 2022-23), Marco Rossi (Ottawa 67’s / 2019-20), Dylan Strome (Erie Otters / 2014-15), Nicolas Petan (Portland Winterhawks / 2012-13), Patrick Kane (London Knights / 2006-07), Sidney Crosby (Rimouski Océanic / 2004-05) and Pierre-Marc Bouchard (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / 2001-02).

Following Michael Misa in 2024-25 and Markus Ruck in 2025-26, draft-eligible players led the CHL in scoring in consecutive seasons for the first time since Marc Savard and Daniel Brière did so in 1994-95 and 1995-96.

Bryce Pickford’s rare offensive season from the blue line

Medicine Hat’s attack was not driven only by the Ruck brothers.

Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) defenceman Bryce Pickford delivered one of the greatest goal-scoring seasons by a defenceman in modern CHL history. His 45 goals in 55 games were the most by a CHL defenceman in a single season in nearly 40 years, since Greg Hawgood recorded 48 in 1987-88, and left him just five shy of the WHL and CHL record for goals by a defenceman — a mark set by Saskatoon Blades blueliner Lawrence Sacharuk, who scored 50 goals in 65 games in 1971-72.

Pickford’s 45-goal campaign also stands as the highest total by any CHL defenceman in the 21st century, three more than Marc-André Bergeron’s 42 in 2000-01. The Montreal Canadiens prospect was the only defenceman to rank among the CHL’s top 10 goal scorers in 2025-26.

Among the league’s top 10 goal scorers, the 19-year-old from Chauvin, Alta., also had the best goals-per-game rate at 0.82.

Most goals by a CHL defenceman in a single season since 2000
1. Bryce Pickford – Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL – 45 goals (55 GP in 2025-26)*
2. Marc-André Bergeron – Shawinigan Cataractes / QMJHL – 42 goals (72 GP in 2000-01)
T3. Sébastien Bisaillon – Val-d’Or Foreurs / QMJHL – 35 goals (63 GP in 2005-06)
T3. Nicolas Hague – Mississauga Steelheads / OHL – 35 goals (67 GP in 2017-18)
T5. Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit / OHL – 33 goals (61 GP in 2024-25)
T5. Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit / OHL – 33 goals (66 GP in 2023-24)

Massé, Schmidt and Carbonneau share the CHL goal-scoring lead

Three players shared the CHL goal-scoring lead in 2025-26 with 51 goals apiece.

Maxim Massé of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL), an Anaheim Ducks prospect, finished tied atop the league with Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) forward Cameron Schmidt, a Dallas Stars prospect, and Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) Armada forward Justin Carbonneau, a St. Louis Blues prospect.

Massé and Schmidt also stood apart in the broader scoring race, as they were the only two players in the CHL to surpass both the 50-goal and 100-point marks in 2025-26.

2025-26 CHL leading goal scorers (click here for the complete list)
T1. Maxim Massé – Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL – 51 goals
T1. Cameron Schmidt – Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL – 51 goals
T1. Justin Carbonneau – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL – 51 goals
T4. Marek Vanacker – Brantford Bulldogs / OHL – 47 goals
T4. Nathan Leek – Charlottetown Islanders / QMJHL – 47 goals
6. Jack Pridham – Kitchener Rangers / OHL – 46 goals
T7. Liam Ruck – Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL – 45 goals
T7. Bryce Pickford – Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL – 45 goals
9. Alexey Vlasov – Victoriaville Tigres / QMJHL – 44 goals
10. Philippe Veilleux – Val-d’Or Foreurs / QMJHL – 43 goals

Scoring-rate leaders show off elite efficiency

Some of the CHL’s biggest offensive performances in 2025-26 were defined not only by raw totals, but also by how efficiently players piled up points.

Carolina Hurricanes prospect Ivan Ryabkin led the CHL in scoring rate at 2.10 points per game, producing 42 points in just 20 games with the Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL). He was one of four CHL players to average at least 1.70 points per game, joined by Utah Mammoth prospect Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets / WHL), Seattle Kraken prospect Jake O’Brien (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL) and Utah Mammoth prospect Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL).

Iginla ranked second at 1.88 points per game, the highest rate by a WHL skater. O’Brien finished third at 1.75, the best mark among OHL players. Desnoyers was fourth at 1.73, giving the QMJHL two of the league’s top four scoring-rate leaders.

Utah Mammoth prospects were especially prominent near the top of the list, with Iginla, Desnoyers and Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts / OHL) ranking second, fourth and fifth, respectively, among the CHL’s top five in points per game.

Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL) forward Maxim Massé ranked sixth at 1.62 points per game, the highest rate among players who appeared in more than 60 games.

Highest average scoring rate across the CHL in 2025-26 (min. 20 GP) (click here for the complete list)
1. Ivan Ryabkin – Charlottetown Islanders / QMJHL – 2.10 PPG (13G-29A–42 PTS in 20 GP)
2. Tij Iginla – Kelowna Rockets / WHL – 1.88 PPG (41G-49A–90 PTS in 48 GP)
3. Jake O’Brien – Brantford Bulldogs / OHL – 1.75 PPG (28G-65A–93 PTS in 53 GP)
4. Caleb Desnoyers – Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL – 1.73 PPG (22G-56A–78 PTS in 45 GP)
5. Cole Beaudoin – Barrie Colts / OHL – 1.63 PPG (33G-55A–88 PTS in 54 GP)
6. Maxim Massé – Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL – 1.62 PPG (51G-51A–102 PTS in 63 GP)
7. Adam Benak – Brantford Bulldogs / OHL – 1.60 PPG (28G-49A–77 PTS in 48 GP)
8. Markus Ruck – Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL – 1.59 PPG (21G-87A–108 PTS in 68 GP)
9. Andrew Basha – Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL – 1.56 PPG (18G-32A–50 PTS in 32 GP)
10. Jonas Woo – Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL – 1.54 PPG (29G-57A–86 PTS in 56 GP)

Another rare accomplishment in Saginaw

Elsewhere, Saginaw Spirit (OHL) right winger and 2026 NHL Draft prospect Nikita Klepov delivered a season that deserves its own historical mention.

The 17-year-old American forward from Deerfield Beach, Florida, became the first rookie to lead a Member League in scoring since Patrick Kane did so with the London Knights in 2006-07. Since 2000, the only other rookie to achieve that feat was Sidney Crosby with the Rimouski Océanic in 2003-04.

Rookies to lead a Member League in scoring since 2000
Nikita Klepov – Saginaw Spirit / OHL – 97 points (37G-60A in 67 GP) in 2025-26
Patrick Kane – London Knights / OHL – 145 points (62G-83A in 58 GP) in 2006-07
Sidney Crosby – Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL – 135 points (54G-81A in 59 GP) in 2003-04

Rudy Guimond’s 40-win season and Ryder Fetterolf’s standout rookie campaign

The 2025-26 season also featured a pair of remarkable performances in goal from Moncton’s Rudy Guimond and Ottawa’s Ryder Fetterolf.

After leading both the QMJHL and CHL with 40 wins in 2025-26, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) netminder Rudy Guimond became the first goaltender in the CHL to reach the 40-win mark since Everett Silvertips (WHL) alumnus Dustin Wolf recorded 41 victories in 2018-19.

Guimond’s 40 wins are tied for the 11th-most by a goaltender in a single season in QMJHL history. They also stand as the highest total by a QMJHL netminder since Alex Dubeau of the Moncton Wildcats posted 41 wins in 2014-15. In fact, Guimond is just the sixth goaltender in the QMJHL since 2000 to record a 40-win season.

Meanwhile, Ottawa 67’s (OHL) goaltender Ryder Fetterolf delivered one of the strongest rookie seasons by a netminder in the CHL this century. His 2.07 goals-against average in 2025-26 not only led the CHL, but also ranked as the fifth-lowest single-season mark by an OHL goaltender in league history. It also stands as the second-best single-season GAA ever recorded by an OHL rookie, behind only Ryan MacDonald of the London Knights, who posted a 2.06 mark in 2003-04.

By also leading the CHL with a .923 save percentage, Fetterolf became just the second rookie since 1997-98 to top the league in both goals-against average and save percentage while playing at least 40% of his team’s minutes and more than 1,600 minutes. The only other rookie to accomplish that feat over the last 28 years was Evan Gardner of the Saskatoon Blades (WHL) in 2023-24.

Most wins by a goaltender in the CHL in 2025-26
1. Rudy Guimond – Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL – 40 wins (40-7-1-2 in 50 GP)
2. Easton Rye – Peterborough Petes / OHL – 38 wins (38-16-1-2 in 57 GP)
3. Mason Vaccari – Flint Firebirds / OHL – 36 wins (36-9-3-2 in 51 GP)
4. Samuel Meloche – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies / QMJHL – 33 wins (33-13-3-0 in 50 GP)
T5. Joshua Ravensbergen – Prince George Cougars / WHL – 32 wins (32-13-0-0 in 46 GP)
T5. Joey Costanzo – Windsor Spitfires / OHL – 32 wins (32-11-4-1 in 50 GP)
7. Anders Millers – Everett Silvertips / WHL – 31 wins (31-5-0-0 in 36 GP)
8. Jordan Switzer – Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL – 30 wins (30-7-2-2 in 44 GP)
T9. Andrew Reyelts – Penticton Vees / WHL – 29 wins (26-6-6-2 in 43 GP)
T9. Ryder Fetterolf – Ottawa 67’s / OHL – 29 wins (29-9-2-1 in 41 GP)

With the regular season complete, attention now turns to the playoffs, where the CHL’s top teams will look to build on their success. Fans can now make their picks for the Road to the Memorial Cup through the 2025-26 WHL, OHL & QMJHL Playoff Bracket Challenge Contest at chl.ca/bracket-challenge. Playoff coverage begins Thursday, March 26 on FloHockey, with four OHL games and one QMJHL matchup on the schedule, before the WHL postseason gets underway Friday, March 27 on Victory+ with all eight opening-night games.