NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Carter Casey knocks a puck out of mid-air in the second period of WHL action Dec. 28 at Co-op Place against the Red Deer Rebels. Casey finished with 18 saves in a 7-4 Tigers win.
Medicine Hat News
The Medicine Hat Tigers will send four players to the WHL’s showcase game for NHL Draft eligible talent.
Forwards Markus an Liam Ruck, Yaroslav Bryzgalov and goaltender Carter Casey will represent Team East at the Prospects Game held Feb. 18 in Langley, B.C.
The rosters were selected based on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings released Jan. 12. All 23 WHL Clubs are represented with at least one player on the roster, the Tigers, Prince Albert Raiders and the host Vancouver Giants all lead the way with four players on the East and West rosters respectively.
Liam Ruck was one of two players, alongside Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph, initially named to Team East on Dec. 10. The younger Ruck brother was ranked No. 26 by NHL Central scouting among North American skaters. He has 26 goals and 64 points in 44 games this season, leading the Tigers in points. Liam played for Team CHL at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November.
Markus Ruck as ranked 31st by NHL Central scouting, he leads the CHL with 51 assists in his sophomore season. He’s also tallied 11 goals for 62 points in 44 games, sitting third on the Tigers in points.
Bryzgalov has tallied seven goals and 34 points in 40 games in his first WHL season, ranked No. 99 by NHL Central Scouting.
Casey has appeared in 18 games for the Tigers in his first WHL season, running a 11-3-2 record with a 3.32 goals against average and a .876 save percentage. He’s recorded one shutout and is the No. 12th ranked North American goaltender by NHL Central scouting.
Team East will be coached by former Tigers bench boss, Kamloops Blazers head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston.
The 2026 WHL Prospects Game will serve as the first all-WHL event of its kind since Jan. 19, 2000, when Kelowna hosted the 2000 WHL All-Star Game.
