Rucinski thriving as Youngstown’s captain, cultivating own name in hockey family

Ryan Rucinski was spending Day 2 of the 2025 NHL Draft sitting by the pool, with his cousin and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Dylan Duke, when they heard cheers from inside his family's Ohio lake house.

Rucinski had been drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with six picks remaining in the seventh and final round. His dream had been realized, and his feeling of uncertainty subsided.

“You never really know,” Rucinski said. “I know a lot of good players get picked and a lot get missed. I didn't really know what to expect. I didn't have my hopes too high, and it's hard to explain, but it was super cool, and I'm just super thankful that Buffalo picked me there.”

Rucinski spent the next few moments hugging his family and embracing his biggest supporter: his dad, Jeff Rucinski, who played professionally in the AHL and ECHL. Jeff built a backyard rink for Ryan and his siblings every year, and that’s where the Rucinski and Duke families gathered.

Rucinski has cultivated a name of his own in a hockey-rich family and has shined for the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) this season, continuing his meteoric rise over the last 12 months.

Last December, Rucinski wore the Team USA uniform for the first time and won gold at the World Junior A Challenge alongside fellow Youngstown product and Sabres prospect Luke Osburn. In June, two days after the draft, Rucinski reported to Sabres Development Camp.

And he returned to Buffalo for the Prospects Challenge in September, where he impressed many members of the Buffalo organization – including Rochester Americans (AHL) coach Mike Leone, who called Rucinski “a ball of energy.” Rucinski was one of the youngest members of that Sabres team and played on a line with two fellow 2025 draftees, Phantoms teammate Matous Kucharcik and Muskegon's Melvin Novotny.

Since the draft, Rucinski has just focused on his game, not his seventh-round status.

“No matter what round, it's just really special to be drafted in the NHL.” Rucinski said. “I have a lot of pride in that, but I still just try to play my game how I would, no matter what the outcome was with the draft or how that turned out. I just try to be the same player every day.”

Rucinski recorded a goal and an assist in three Prospects Challenge games. The tournament included some more physically developed competition; the 5-foot-11, 181-pound Rucinski, who'd added 15 pounds over the summer, held his own, showcasing his developed offensive game, net-front prowess and tenacious edge on the ice.

“I just like to play a hard game,” he said. “I like to just finish checks and just kind of wear my opponents down. Yes, it's tough because I'm a little smaller, but I think if you just keep giving body punches, guys will wear down and you can make plays off of them.”

Youngstown head coach Ryan Ward said those NHL-style experiences are invaluable, noting that Rucinski – who studied the way older prospects prepared for games – has entered the 2025-26 season with a more intentional approach. He’s more focused on his diet and has added a new stretching routine to help prevent injury.

Rucinski’s evolution has taken time, as he wasn’t an everyday player his first season in Youngstown. The 16-year-old recorded 14 points in 53 games in 2023-24, struggling to find consistent ice time on a team with seven other NHL draft picks.

“A lot of times, when you're coaching these kids, they (had been) the best player on their team, for the most part,” Ward said. “That's always a hard, slap-in-the-face moment when you're like, ‘Whoa, I'm in and out of the lineup.’ And for him, instead of pouting or sulking, he just worked hard, and when he eventually became a regular in our lineup, he just kept taking steps.”

Those steps included 42 points (19+23) – fifth most on the team – in 2024-25, propelling Rucinski up draft boards.

The Ohio State University commit has taken another step forward this season by winning puck battles, being a more explosive skater and creating space for himself. More confident than ever, he ranks fifth in the USHL in goals (8) – with a league-leading five on the power-play – and sixth in points (14)

“He was always a hard worker, but in order to get off to a start like he's having, you have to be a relentless player,” Ward said. “... In this league, there's no space; you have to work for relatively every inch of ice, and I think Ryan's second and third efforts have allowed him to excel offensively.”

Ward, who’s coached Rucinski all three seasons in Youngstown, watching him grow from a quiet 16-year-old to an NHL prospect, named him the Phantoms’ captain in September.

“Ryan certainly has been a pleasure to coach and someone that. when he moves on from here, he's going to have left this place better than he found it,” Ward said.

Prospect Spotlight

Konsta Helenius, F – Rochester Americans, AHL

It was a slow start to the 2025-26 season for Helenius, who had one point in five games, but the 2024 14th-overall pick shined last weekend with five points in two games.

Helenius factored in on all four Amerks goals in a 4-0 win over Laval on Oct. 24. with two goals and two assists. He followed up that career-best performance with an overtime winner the next day versus Cleveland.

Since Helenius’ five-point weekend, the Amerks have won four consecutive games, and they’re now tied for first in the North Division at 6-2. Helenius has six points in eight games and is tied for the third in the AHL with three power-play goals.

• More on Helenius’ successful preseason with Buffalo

Melvin Novotny, F – Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL

Novotny is in the early stages of his first North American season with Muskegon after playing in Sweden for Leksands IF J18 and J20 teams in 2024-25.

The 2025 seventh-round draft choice has adjusted quickly to the USHL style, with seven goals and eight assists across 13 games. Novotny is tied for fifth in the USHL in points (15) and is riding a six-game point streak – five of those six have been multi-point efforts.

The high-IQ winger has powered Muskegon into first place in the Eastern Conference with an 11-2 record.

Ryerson Leenders, G – Brantford Bulldogs, OHL

Leenders was named Ontario Hockey League Goaltender of the Week on Monday after back-to-back dominant performances. He went 2-0 with 56 saves on 58 shots last week, highlighted by a 39-save performance in a 3-1 win over the Sarnia Sting.

The 2024 seventh-round draft choice has gone 5-0-1 this season. Among OHL goalies with six or more games, Leenders ranks fifth in both save percentage (.918) and goals-against average (2.31).