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WHL Medicine Hat Tigers

Road to the WHL Draft: 2023

May 8, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release


Medicine Hat, AB - After returning to the playoffs after missing the previous season, the Medicine Hat Tigers would be looking ahead to the future building out their depth charts in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft. After finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference the Tigers would select ninth overall. The Top 3 Picks would see the Prince Albert Raiders select first and second overall, taking Daxon Rudolph & Riley Boychuk, followed by the Spokane Chief drafting Mathis Preston to round out the Top 3.

The Tigers would use their ninth overall pick and select Liam Ruck (Oosoyos, BC) from OHA Okanagan U15 Prep of the CSSHL. Scoring 90 points including 53 goals in 27 games with the U15 program. In 2023-2024 Ruck scored 53 points in 22 games while also representing Canada at the World Youth Olympics in South Korea in February 2024. Ruck made his debut against the Regina Pats, November 22, 2023, scoring in his first WHL game and finishing with a goal and an assist, part of the Tigers 8-0 win over the Pats.

Medicine Hat would for the second straight season pick in the first round, making a deal with the Saskatoon Blades to acquire the 21st pick in the draft, Liam's twin brother Markus Ruck (Oosoyos, BC). Markus also from the OHA U15 Prep program, had 87 points in 27 games in U15. While in the U18 season had 62 points in 25 games with 18 goals and 44 assists. Also playing for Canada at the World Youth Olympics in 2024.

One more Tiger draft pick from this list would play for Medicine Hat in the 2023-2024 season as Brayden Ryan-MacKay (Calgary, AB) was taken in the 6th round, 199th overall from the Yale Hockey Academy U15 Prep program in the CSSHL where he had 50 points in 28 games, (28 goals, 22 assists). At the South Alberta Hockey Academy in 2023-2024, Ryan-MacKay had 37 points in 30 games (20 goals, 17 assists). He played in two Tigers road games in early March against the Saskatoon Blades & Prince Albert Raiders.

Also from the 2023 Draft, the Tigers have signed defencemen Koray Bozkaya (Maple Ridge, BC) & Riley Steen (Ladysmith, BC) from the Yale U15 Prep team and Steen from the OHA U15 Prep team where he was with the Ruck twins the past two seasons.

Also during the 2023 Draft saw the selection of US born Prospect Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll (Salt Lake City, UT) from the Chicago Mission U14 team on the day's previous US Prospect Draft. Gordon-Carroll was signed on April 19, 2024 to a WHL Scholarship and Development agreement.

Thursday, May 9, is the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, stay tuned on the Tigers website & social media for the latest updates throughout draft day.

RD Pick Name Hometown Position 2021-22 Team Ht Wt

1 9 Liam Ruck Osoyoos, BC RW Okanagan Hockey Academy U15 Prep 5'11 149

1 21 Markus Ruck Osoyoos, BC C Okanagan Hockey Academy U15 Prep 5'10 145

3 53 Koray Bozkaya Maple Ridge, BC D Yale Hockey Academy U15 Prep 6'2 173

6 119 Brayden Ryan-MacKay Calgary, AB LW Yale Hockey Academy U15 Prep 5'6 147

6 127 Riley Steen Ladysmith, BC D Okanagan Hockey Academy U15 Prep 5'11 147

7 141 Sutton Verot Regina, SK RW Regina Pat Blues U15AA 5'9 170

8 159 Avery Watson Edmonton, AB LW Edmonton KC U15AAA Squires 5'11 134

9 185 Liam Chartrand Winnipegosis, MB C/LW Pilot Mound Academy U15 Prep 5'10 155

10 207 Tafari Chingwaru Edmonton, AB D Edmonton MLAC U15 AAA 5'10 150

11 229 Matyas Fischer Valencia, CA D Los Angeles Jr Kings 14U 5'10 150

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