Scouting Combine 2026

[lanky]

They're not out yet. They'll likely be released tomorrow.

@newdimension didn't post #350 of this thread include the updated heights and weights, prior to your edit last night?

 

[STL fan in MN]

@newdimension didn't post #350 of this thread include the updated heights and weights, prior to your edit last night?

He removed them because they were the pre-Combine measurements listed by NHL.com when they announced which guys would be invited to the Combine.

The Combine measurements should come out sometime today.

 

[ScoutyMcScoutface]

McKenna being essentially at the top of the combine class gives me pause; doesn't have the athletic runway some of these other prospects have.

He's unlikely to gain more of an edge in this area vs his peers, if anything they'll start catching up.

Shades of Lafreniere a bit here where his elite coaching program gave him an edge as a teen that won't translate to his 20's.

 

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Is there one place where all the heights and weights have been posted? Thanks in advance

2026 NHL Combine Heights & Weights - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

The 2026 NHL Combine is completed. Here are the official heights and weights of the prospects who were in attendance this week in BUffalo.

thehockeywriters.com

 

[ScoutyMcScoutface]

The last thing I want is to be influenced by combine results into thinking a player is better than they are because they can kill it in the gym, or thinking a player is worse because they still have room to get stronger.

Lots of guys that kill it at the combine are just early developers with a mirage lead on their peers.

 

[rsteen]

Oh, the thing posted earlier had them as:
MARKUS, RUCK (C, L) - 5' 11.75", 167 lbs | Birthdate: 21-Feb-08 | Team: MEDICINE HAT (WHL)
LIAM, RUCK (RW, R) - 5' 11.75", 177 lbs | Birthdate: 21-Feb-08 | Team: MEDICINE HAT (WHL)

Anyway, maybe I'm just irrationally fascinated with twins.
Like, imagine there was a second you? weird.

One got more nutrition in the womb, Liam works harder, Markus was sick recently....

As they shoot opposite hands, maybe they're actually mirror twins instead of completely identical, too.

 

[TheDoldrums]

McKenna being essentially at the top of the combine class gives me pause; doesn't have the athletic runway some of these other prospects have.

He's unlikely to gain more of an edge in this area vs his peers, if anything they'll start catching up.

Shades of Lafreniere a bit here where his elite coaching program gave him an edge as a teen that won't translate to his 20's.

Lafreniere had more than 20 pounds on McKenna and only played against junior kids. That was his physical edge, not better cardio.

 

[msboylan]

Anyway, maybe I'm just irrationally fascinated with twins.
Like, imagine there was a second you? weird.

As an identical twin, always a little funny to hear stuff like this. Bears out my thinking that the only person to ever really see you as an individual if you're an identical twin is... your twin. My twin and I, for example, think we look completely different. Yet mysteriously we keep getting confused for each other lol

 

[Mike Pecarino]

The obsession with Twins in Vancouver is weird. We all miss the Sedins everybody, yes, me included but seriously now, put your adult pants on now and just be thankful Hank and Dank are back at the top of the food chain. The Rucks will struggle making it in the NHL.

 

[TimeZone]

McKenna being essentially at the top of the combine class gives me pause; doesn't have the athletic runway some of these other prospects have.

He's unlikely to gain more of an edge in this area vs his peers, if anything they'll start catching up.

Shades of Lafreniere a bit here where his elite coaching program gave him an edge as a teen that won't translate to his 20's.

Ah yes, 170 lb Gavin McKenna who has been dominating players significantly older and larger than him for the last several years has been utilizing his physical tools as an 18 year old to dominate those undersized, tiny 22 year olds in NCAA.

Also, the idea that McKenna being an elite athlete would somehow limit his ability to further develop has got to be among the most backwards, stupid shit I've ever heard.

I loved Lafreniere as a prospect but he was the worst skating #1 overall forward Drafted since Tavares, he was also 25 lbs heavier than McKenna playing in the weakest league in the CHL in his draft year.....the analogy is laughably terrible.

 

[Jerry the great]

McKenna being essentially at the top of the combine class gives me pause; doesn't have the athletic runway some of these other prospects have.

He's unlikely to gain more of an edge in this area vs his peers, if anything they'll start catching up.

Shades of Lafreniere a bit here where his elite coaching program gave him an edge as a teen that won't translate to his 20's.

I would argue he's the opposite of Laffreniere.

McKenna is scrawny/wiry with absolutely elite sense, hands and a near total unwillingness to engage physically . He is going to absolutely thrive on the PP when he has a little extra time and space. Lafreniere was a fully developed adult at 16 with insane off ice work habits and totally engaged physically, with nowhere close to elite raw talent/skill. his PP numbers career to date are abysmal. He just isn't that good.

 

[UnSandvich]

I would argue he's the opposite of Laffreniere.

McKenna is scrawny/wiry with absolutely elite sense, hands and a near total unwillingness to engage physically . He is going to absolutely thrive on the PP when he has a little extra time and space. Lafreniere was a fully developed adult at 16 with insane off ice work habits and totally engaged physically, with nowhere close to elite raw talent/skill. his PP numbers career to date are abysmal. He just isn't that good.

(Lafreniere had 1 less PP point this season than he did in every season of his career combined up to the most recent. Panarin being moved meant he got consistent PP1 mins for the first time in his career)

 

[Jerry the great]

(Lafreniere had 1 less PP point this season than he did in every season of his career combined up to the most recent. Panarin being moved meant he got consistent PP1 mins for the first time in his career)

The body of work is still massively underwhelming for a 1OA pick in his 6th NHL season.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

The Ruck twin are the exact same height as expected, but how it one ten pounds heavier?
Surely that's a typo?

Parents favorite?

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

I would argue he's the opposite of Laffreniere.

McKenna is scrawny/wiry with absolutely elite sense, hands and a near total unwillingness to engage physically . He is going to absolutely thrive on the PP when he has a little extra time and space. Lafreniere was a fully developed adult at 16 with insane off ice work habits and totally engaged physically, with nowhere close to elite raw talent/skill. his PP numbers career to date are abysmal. He just isn't that good.

That narrative is a bit of a myth people made up to rationalize Lafreniere's struggles in the NHL.

Junior Lafrenière had solid size, but he was never that big or that physical; IIRC he came into the draft listed at 6'1 - 190 pounds. Hell he wasn't even the most physical guy on his own junior line. People imagined he was a power-forward in the making because he threw a couple hits at the WJC, but that was never his game. The vast majority of the damage he did at the junior level was done through his hands and his play-making; he never dominated through physicality. And frankly, if there had been a Combine that year I doubt he would have done that well.

Lafrenière's actual issues aren't a lack of offensive talent. It's that he's a low-pace player with a mediocre first-step/acceleration. And probably a lack of drive too: it's the only way I can explain how little progress he's made in 6 years with the Rangers. Though he did play really well in 2026; I guess we'll see next year if he actually turned a corner.

That said I agree that he has little in common with McKenna.

 

[Jerry the great]

That narrative is a bit of a myth people made up to rationalize Lafreniere's struggles in the NHL.

Junior Lafrenière had solid size, but he was never that big or that physical; IIRC he came into the draft listed at 6'1 - 195 pounds. Hell he wasn't even the most physical guy on his own junior line. People imagined he was a power-forward in the making because he threw a couple hits at the WJC, but that was never his game. The vast majority of the damage he did at the junior level was done through his hands and his play-making; he never dominated through physicality. And frankly, if there had been a Combine that year I doubt he would have done that well.

Lafrenière's actual issues aren't a lack of offensive talent. It's that he's a low-pace player with a mediocre first-step/acceleration. And probably a lack of drive too: it's the only way I can explain how little progress he's made in 6 years with the Rangers. Though he did play really well in 2026; I guess we'll see next year if he actually turned a corner.

That said I agree that he has little in common with McKenna.

He was 6'1 and 200lbs at 16....with a ton of drive.

Matthew Tkachuk is about the same size as Lafreniere and one of the worst skaters in the league. Yet he dominates the ozone because his sense is elite and so are his hands.

If your 1OA pick can't force his way onto PP1 in 6 NHL seasons, it speaks to an underlying issue (skill deficiency IMO).

‘He … emptied out my gym’: Inside top prospect Alexis Lafrenière’s garage workouts

What's a hot-shot NHL prospect to do when his world is in lockdown? Go hang out in the garage at his parents’ house.

www.nytimes.com

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

He was 6'1 and 200lbs at 16....with a ton of drive.

Matthew Tkachuk is about the same size as Lafreniere and one of the worst skaters in the league. Yet he dominates the ozone because his sense is elite and so are his hands.

If your 1OA pick can't force his way onto PP1 in 6 NHL seasons, it speaks to an underlying issue (skill deficiency IMO).

‘He … emptied out my gym’: Inside top prospect Alexis Lafrenière’s garage workouts

What's a hot-shot NHL prospect to do when his world is in lockdown? Go hang out in the garage at his parents’ house.

www.nytimes.com

Literally every high-end prospect gets that exact same kind of puff-piece, and they're always meaningless. Especially one with such glaring errors. 200 lbs!? You really think he was bigger at 16 than at the draft? Maybe if he was weighed after a week-long rampage at La Belle Province. But no, at 16 Lafreniere was listed a bit over 170. Which makes a lot more sense if you actually saw him play back then.

Matthew Tkachuk is more successful than Lafreniere not because he has better hands, but because he's 10x more aggressive, more competitive and harder-working. Lafrenière's hands are actually excellent; it's probably been his most consistently strong offensive tool. But both his feet and his decision-making are too slow to play the same kind of skill game at the NHL level that he played in juniors.

 

[Jerry the great]

Literally every high-end prospect gets that exact same kind of puff-piece, and they're always meaningless. Especially one with such glaring errors. 200 lbs!? You really think he was bigger at 16 than at the draft? Maybe if he was weighed after a week-long rampage at La Belle Province. But no, at 16 Lafreniere was listed a bit over 170. Which makes a lot more sense if you actually saw him play back then.

Matthew Tkachuk is more successful than Lafreniere not because he has better hands, but because he's 10x more aggressive, more competitive and harder-working. Lafrenière's hands are actually excellent; it's probably been his most consistently strong offensive tool. But both his feet and his decision-making are too slow to play the same kind of skill game at the NHL level that he played in juniors.

they didn't have a combine for 2020

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

they didn't have a combine for 2020

You don't need the combine to have weight/height measurements. Lafreniere was listed at 193 at the draft. Even in the NHL I don't think Lafreniere has ever been listed at 200lbs or more. It's far-fetched to think he was that size at 16. He was a slightly above-average sized junior, and now an average-sized NHLer. But he was never a physically-dominant power forward, at any level.

To bring it back to McKenna, I don't think they're all that similar as prospects, beyond both being playmaking wingers with defensive deficiencies. McKenna plays at a higher pace, and is a better overall skater.

 

[Chainshot]

McKenna being essentially at the top of the combine class gives me pause; doesn't have the athletic runway some of these other prospects have.

He's unlikely to gain more of an edge in this area vs his peers, if anything they'll start catching up.

Shades of Lafreniere a bit here where his elite coaching program gave him an edge as a teen that won't translate to his 20's.

That is always something to weigh - is there more to get out of a player's frame physically vs. guys who are built out already being committed or having done the work. Part of why scouting is an art and not a science.

 

[67 others]

If you really compare draft combine with a playoff game you are completely detached from reality, high on your "dig deep" trope. It's stupid.

Grier (and kind of hilariously placed Stenberg) quote from nhl.com: McKenna among top performers in fitness testing at NHL Scouting Combine | NHL.com

"It's the competitiveness of it all," Grier said. "... Kind of how they're willing to kind of push themselves a little bit to get the last pull-up, or the Wingate when they're dead tired. Are they going to push through that last 10 seconds? So just try and see their competitiveness and their athleticism."

Ivar Stenberg, No. 1 on Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters, declined to test because of an illness. The forward with Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League said he hasn't been feeling well since completing play with Sweden at the 2026 IIHF World Championship on May 28.

"Been sick pretty much lately so after Worlds, I talked to my agents, my off-ice coach, and we decided that this is the best for me, and to not do it," Stenberg said. "It's going to maybe (not) look too good, but it's dangerous to do it when you're sick, so that's why."

 

[SoundAndFury]

Grier (and kind of hilariously placed Stenberg) quote from nhl.com: McKenna among top performers in fitness testing at NHL Scouting Combine | NHL.com

"It's the competitiveness of it all," Grier said. "... Kind of how they're willing to kind of push themselves a little bit to get the last pull-up, or the Wingate when they're dead tired. Are they going to push through that last 10 seconds? So just try and see their competitiveness and their athleticism."

Ivar Stenberg, No. 1 on Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters, declined to test because of an illness. The forward with Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League said he hasn't been feeling well since completing play with Sweden at the 2026 IIHF World Championship on May 28.

"Been sick pretty much lately so after Worlds, I talked to my agents, my off-ice coach, and we decided that this is the best for me, and to not do it," Stenberg said. "It's going to maybe (not) look too good, but it's dangerous to do it when you're sick, so that's why."

I had 0 doubt that some of the cavemen in the NHL front offices agree with your line of thinking, if that's what your point is here.

 

[SwedishFire]

McKenna is an assist per game player.

 

[67 others]

I had 0 doubt that some of the cavemen in the NHL front offices agree with your line of thinking, if that's what your point is here.

"The cavemen"

Former Athletes and guys who pushed themselves to the limit and never use sick days unless they are absolutely dying

Vs

As opposed to.... you like the guys who call in to work for every little minor thing leaving the team down a person?

Sorry chubbs. That's not caveman stuff. That's what hockey fans as a whole celebrate and what the winners look for to admire and emulate

Let me guess. You think Rocky is a terrible movie because all you can see is a guy putting himself at risk of CTE and its not worth it to you, as opposed to the point of the movie being a guy who never quits and gut checks through adversity to sneak out the draw against a more skilled opponent?

 

[SoundAndFury]

That's what hockey fans as a whole celebrate and what the winners look for to admire and emulate

I especially enjoyed this part where you consider yourself to be the spokesman for "hockey fans as a whole". Lines up really well with your other views.