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(Image Credit: Medicine Hat Tigers)
By Jesse Gill
Ruck Brothers and Pickford

Three Medicine Hat Tigers named to CHL All-Star Teams

Jun 24, 2026 | 11:16 AM

The Medicine Hat Tigers had three players named to Canadian Hockey League All-Star Teams for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday.

First team honours go to defenceman Bryce Pickford and forward Liam Ruck. Named to the second team is forward Markus Ruck.

All three players had standout years where their offensive production increased significantly.

Pickford, 20, from Chauvin, Alta., went from 47 points with 20 goals in 48 games in 2024-25 to 83 points with 45 goals in 55 games in 2025-26. Pickford had the best goal-scoring season by a CHL defender in modern-day history. He was only three goals shy of Greg Hawgood’s 48-goal record set in 1987-88. He was named the CHL Defenceman of the Year and was a finalist for the CHL Player of the Year, after winning both awards at the Western Hockey League level.

Liam Ruck, 18, from Osoyoos, B.C., had a standout year for the Tigers with 45 goals and 59 assists for 104 points in 68 games in 2025-26. A large jump from his 25 goals and 16 assists for 41 points in 61 games during the 2024-25 season. He finished second in scoring among all WHL and CHL skaters, behind only his brother Markus. Liam is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft and is ranked 20th among North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings. His 45 goals matched Pickford’s total, as the two tied for second in the WHL.

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Markus Ruck, 18, from Osoyoos, B.C., earned the honour of both the CHL and WHL Top Scorer Awards for leading both in total points in 2025-26. His offensive production had the largest increase among the three Tigers players named to the teams. Marcus went from a 2024-25 season of 29 points, with eight goals and 21 assists in 62 games, to a 2025-26 season of 108 points, with 21 goals and 89 assists in 68 games. Markus is ranked 23rd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in its Final Rankings ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday and Saturday.

Markus and Liam are the first siblings in CHL history to finish first and second in league scoring in the same season. Both are set to play for the Tigers during the 2026-27 season, while Pickford, who has signed with the Montreal Canadiens, is expected to start the upcoming season with the Laval Rockets in the American Hockey League.

The Medicine Hat Tigers led the WHL in goals, had the league’s top power play, and finished at the top of the Central Division in 2025-26. They were eliminated by the Prince Albert Raiders in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The 2026-27 regular season starts for the Tigers on Sept. 18, with the preseason underway on Sept. 1.

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READ: Rucks sign in NCAA for 2027-28, Medicine Hat Tigers pre-season schedule released (June 22, 2026)

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READ: Medicine Hat Tigers to start 2026-27 season against Lethbridge Hurricanes (June 17, 2026)

by Jesse Gill

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