Medicine Hat Tigers forward Liam Ruck added to Team CHL roster for the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge
Tickets for both games are available now at CHL.ca/prospectschallenge, with puck drop set for 6:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 p.m. ET on November 25 (Calgary) and November 26 (Lethbridge). Fans can also watch live in Canada on TSN and RDS, on NHL Network in the United States, and for free outside Canada on Victory+.
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today that forward Liam Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) has been added to Team CHL’s roster for the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge, taking place November 25-26 in Calgary and Lethbridge, Alberta. Ruck replaces Brooks Rogowski of the Oshawa Generals (OHL), who is unable to participate due to injury.
Hosted by the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL), the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge is expected to feature roughly 50% or more of the players projected to be selected in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft — underscoring the elite talent on display throughout this two-game series in Calgary and Lethbridge.
Ruck, a 6-foot, 175-pound right-handed winger from Osoyoos, B.C., was selected ninth overall in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft and continues to establish himself as a key part of the Tigers’ forward group. Now in his 2025-26 campaign, he is averaging a point per game with 21 points (7G-14A) in 21 contests and is one of five WHL forwards to have earned a “B” rating on NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List released Monday, October 20.
His strong start has him just one point shy of the Tigers’ scoring lead, while his 14 assists rank second on the team. Ruck has already recorded six multi-point outings this season, highlighted by a career-best four-point performance (2G-2A) last Friday in Regina — part of a week that earned him Tempo WHL Player of the Week honours for the period ending Sunday, November 16.
The 17-year-old’s rise builds on a breakout 2024-25 season in which he led all WHL rookies with 25 goals, finishing with 41 points in 61 games and tallying 10 multi-point performances. He played an important role in guiding Medicine Hat to the 2025 WHL Championship title and a Memorial Cup berth, recording 10 points (6G-4A) over 18 playoff contests. On the international stage, Ruck represented Team Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, producing three points (2G-1A) in five games to help secure the bronze medal. He also captured gold with Canada White at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and made an immediate impact in his WHL debut on November 23, 2023, scoring a goal and an assist.
Ruck is also the twin brother of Tigers centre Markus Ruck. Their father, Derek Ruck, played three seasons with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (1998–99 to 2000–01), recording 67 points (18G-49A) in 206 career WHL games.
Ruck now joins Team CHL for the two-game series against the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP), where he will be coached by a familiar face — his Medicine Hat Tigers bench boss, Willie Desjardins, who is serving as head coach of Team CHL. He becomes the newest addition to a roster showcasing many of the top prospects from the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.
TEAM CHL ROSTER — 2025 CHL USA PROSPECTS CHALLENGE
| Name | Team | League | Hometown | NHL CS Grade |
| Forwards (13) | ||||
| Ethan Belchetz | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | Oakville, ON | A |
| Maddox Dagenais | Québec Remparts | QMJHL | Saint-Lazare, QC | B |
| Alessandro Di Iorio | Sarnia Sting | OHL | Vaughan, ON | A |
| Beckham Edwards | Sarnia Sting | OHL | Komoka, ON | B |
| Chase Harrington | Spokane Chiefs | WHL | Prince George, BC | B |
| JP Hurlbert | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | Allen, TX (USA) | A |
| Nikita Klepov | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | Deerfield Beach, FL (USA) | A |
| Caleb Malhotra | Brantford Bulldogs | OHL | Toronto, ON | A |
| Adam Novotný | Peterborough Petes | OHL | Kobylice, CZE | A |
| Mathis Preston | Spokane Chiefs | WHL | Penticton, BC | A |
| Ryan Roobroeck | Niagara IceDogs | OHL | London, ON | A |
| Liam Ruck | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | Osoyoos, BC | B |
| Egor Shilov | Victoriaville Tigres | QMJHL | Tyumen, RUS | A |
| Defencemen (7) | ||||
| Carson Carels | Prince George Cougars | WHL | Cypress River, MB | A |
| Ryan Lin | Vancouver Giants | WHL | Richmond, BC | A |
| Charlie Morrison | Québec Remparts | QMJHL | Miramichi, NB | B |
| Giorgos Pantelas | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | Victoria, BC | B |
| Chase Reid | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | Chesterfield, MI (USA) | A |
| Daxon Rudolph | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | Lacombe, AB | A |
| Xavier Villeneuve | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada | QMJHL | Les Cèdres, QC | A |
| Goaltenders (2) | ||||
| Harrison Boettiger | Kelowna Rockets | WHL | Wheat Rudge, CO (USA) | B |
| Zachary Jovanovski | Guelph Storm | OHL | Tecumseh, ON | B |
About the CHL USA Prospects Challenge
First introduced in 2024, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge is a best-on-best, two-game series spotlighting the top NHL Draft-eligible players from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL facing off against the U.S. National Under-18 Team. The inaugural edition, held last November in London and Oshawa, proved a major success — 16 of 22 players on Team CHL were selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 2025 edition, hosted by the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes, will once again spotlight elite NHL prospects projected to headline the 2026 NHL Draft — including Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL), Ethan Belchetz (Windsor Spitfires / OHL), and Egor Shilov (Victoriaville Tigres / QMJHL) among the 15 CHL players who earned an “A” rating (first-round candidate) on NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List. Team CHL roster details are linked here, with player notes and profiles accessible here.
Fans can catch both games live in Canada on TSN and RDS on November 25 (Calgary) and November 26 (Lethbridge), with puck drop set for 6:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 p.m. ET. In the United States, both games will air live on NHL Network and can be streamed outside of Canada on Victory+. Tickets for both games are available now at chl.ca/prospectschallenge.
