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Liam Ruck Elite Prospects ↗

Position: Forward DOB: 2008-02-21 Country: Canada
2026 · Round 1, Pick #22  ·  Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins
North Dakota
Verbal NCHC D1

Set Commitment

NCAA Division I

NCAA D3 / D2

Career Trajectory
Dashed = raw PPG  ·  ■ Solid blue = age-adjusted NCAAe-PPG  ·  ■ Green = actual college PPG
Junior Seasons
Season Team League GP G A Pts PPG NCAAe-PPG Age-Adj D3e-PPG Age-Adj
2023-24 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 3 1 1 2 0.667 0.3243 0.3693 1.6285 1.8544
2024-25 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 61 25 16 41 0.672 0.3270 0.3549 1.6417 1.7816
2025-26 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 68 45 59 104 1.529 0.7441 0.7731 3.7359 3.8815
2026-27 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 3 1 2 3 1.000 0.4865 0.4865 2.4427 2.4427
■ Blue = NCAAe (D1 anchor)   ■ Green = D3e (D3 anchor)   COVID-flagged seasons highlighted in yellow

College Pathway Likelihood (based on 40 comparables)

30%
NCAA D1
0%
NCAA D2/D3
18%
Age-Out / Club
52%
Pro / Other

NCAAe Rankings

#4500
Forward overall
#22
Forward born in 2008
#81
in WHL

D1 Comparables

Dave Gust
USHL · 2012-13 · 0.77 PPG
→ Ohio State (0.38 D1 FR PPG)
0.45 Average
NCAAe PPG
Nathan Walker
USHL · 2012-13 · 0.93 PPG
→ Marian (0.21 D1 FR PPG)
0.54 Developing
NCAAe PPG
Frank Vatrano
NTDP-U18 · 2012-13 · 0.80 PPG
→ UMass
0.55 No data
NCAAe PPG
Adam Gilmour
USHL · 2012-13 · 0.73 PPG
→ Boston College (0.50 D1 FR PPG)
0.43 Average
NCAAe PPG
Jared Thomas
USHL · 2012-13 · 0.69 PPG
→ Minnesota Duluth (0.33 D1 FR PPG)
0.40 Developing
NCAAe PPG

North Dakota Alumni similar profiles who attended this school

Joel Janatuinen
SM-Liiga-Jr 2013-14
0.26
actual FR PPG at North Dakota
Cooper Moore
AJHL 2024-25
0.24
actual FR PPG at North Dakota
Jackson Blake
USHS-MN 2020-21
1.08
actual FR PPG at North Dakota
Collin Adams
USHL 2016-17
0.31
actual FR PPG at North Dakota

D2/3 Comparables

Nick Ford
Elmira · 2014-15
0.800 Strong
actual D2/3 PPG
Joseph Fiorino
Southern New Hampshire · 2016-17
0.593 Average
actual D2/3 PPG
Jason Kalinowski
Endicott · 2015-16
1.310 Elite
actual D2/3 PPG

How to read this: NCAAe and D3e factors convert a player's junior PPG into expected NCAA scoring at the D1 or D3 level. Harder conferences → lower projected PPG for the same player. A strong junior player (e.g. USHL 0.90 PPG) will project much higher in NESCAC than Big Ten because the D3 scoring environment is lower-difficulty.

Strength factor: conferences above 1.0 are harder than average; below 1.0 are easier. The formula is: Base NCAAe PPG ÷ Conference Strength = Projected PPG.