Mathis Preston is turning heads at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Mathis Preston has already had a large impact at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, posting five points, including a hat-trick, to lead Canada in scoring through the preliminary round. 

At the start of the season, he’s showing why he’s a top-end prospect for this year’s draft.

Preston’s combination of smooth skating, quick hands, and high hockey IQ makes him a constant threat in the offensive zone. He uses his edges to evade forecheckers, manipulate defenders, and generate the speed needed to win puck battles. On transitions, he often carries the puck out of his own zone, pivots to shake off pressure, and draws defenders toward him before delivering precise passes to teammates in open space.

In the offensive zone, Preston's vision and decision-making stand out. He’s constantly moving, creating options for teammates, and keeping defenders guessing. Quick hands and smart positioning allow him to manipulate defenders and open up passing lanes, often resulting in high-quality scoring chances. He registered his first point of the tournament by drawing two Finnish defenders behind the net and feeding a teammate in the slot with a short saucer pass.

So far, Preston's best game was his hat-trick performance against Switzerland, a display of hockey IQ. For his first goal, he exploited open space in the neutral zone, slid around the boards, faked out the goalie with a shoulder move, and tucked the puck in after circling the net. The second came from a blind spot in the defenders, a quick breakaway, and a subtle deke to beat the goalie. His final goal followed a recovered puck in the offensive zone, where his speed allowed him to slip into the slot and deflect the puck home. These moments highlighted his skill, shot, and instincts, all of which look top-six calibre for the NHL – and could make him a top-10 pick in the summer. 

While Preston’s skills were on full display, his teammates’ precise plays set the stage for every highlight.

"Credit to my teammates, they made unbelievable plays to me," Preston told TSN after the game. "Made it easy."

Those teammates: twin brothers Liam Ruck and Markus Ruck. While Preston and the Rucks recently faced off as bitter rivals in the WHL Championship, with Preston’s Spokane Chiefs going up against the Rucks’ Medicine Hat Tigers, they have a long history as teammates, all growing up in the Okanagan region. Preston began his hockey career in Penticton, the Ruck twins played less than an hour south in Osoyoos – until they all joined the Okanagan Hockey Academy (OHA) for the 2020-21 season. 

There, the trio formed a nearly unstoppable line. Through four seasons at OHA, Preston combined for 135 goals and 235 points in 106 games played. Liam Ruck came in at 260 points in 110 games, Markus added 251 points in 114 games. Now, after starting the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on three separate lines, they were finally reunited. 

"It was kind of a matter of time before we started playing together,” Preston said to TSN. “We played together [at the] U17s, did pretty well there, and obviously our whole life we've been playing together growing up.

"It's a treat to play with them. They're unreal players and [I] couldn't have done it without them."