Victoria Royals blueliner met with a majority of NHL teams at Draft Combine
Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, June 10, 2026
If someone had told Timmy Runtso last fall that he would spend early June interviewing with more than half the NHL, he would not have believed them.
Yet there the Victoria Royals blueliner was, navigating physical testing and team interviews alongside the top hockey prospects on the planet at the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, N.Y.
Runtso joined Langford’s Giorgos Pantelas and former Royals standout Keaton Verhoeff among the 90 prospects invited to the annual event, which ran from June 1 to 6.
The combine gives NHL clubs a final opportunity to conduct interviews, medical evaluations and fitness testing ahead of the draft.
Meeting with a majority of the league’s 32 clubs gave the California native plenty of opportunities to state his case. He noted the environment varied from room to room, but he found a rhythm as the week progressed.
“I really enjoyed talking to the teams that made the conversation feel casual,” Runtso told Victoria News. “You still answer the most important questions, but I think it lets players open up.”
When it came time for the physical assessments, Runtso posted impressive results. He finished third in the horizontal jump, seventh in the left-side pro agility test and ninth on the right side.
His local counterparts also turned heads. Pantelas finished second in left hand grip strength and eighth in right hand grip strength. Verhoeff placed fourth in the right side pro agility test and ninth in the VO2 max bike test.
One fitness testing event that stood out for Runtso was the infamous Wingate cycle ergometer test.
“It was one of the hardest 30 seconds of my life,” he said. “Everyone is just yelling at you. You feel terrible for at least half an hour after.”
While the physical testing pushes prospects to their limits, the combine also features unique mental evaluations. One NHL team tested confidence by having players choose a distance to stand from a bucket and attempt to throw a puck inside.
“The most important thing is not making it or not making it,” Runtso said. “They want to see how you react to different situations and if you stay composed.”
This exercise served as a confidence barometer, just one example of what the combine looks like behind the scenes.
The entire experience capped a noteworthy season for the soon-to-be 19-year-old.
After going undrafted in his first year of NHL eligibility, Runtso arrived in Victoria ahead of the 2025-26 campaign and quickly established himself as the team’s top defenceman.
“If you asked me at the start of the season if I’d be going to the combine, I wouldn’t believe you,” Runtso said.
The 6’2”, 194-pound right shot blueliner appeared in all 68 games, recording 11 goals and 33 assists for 44 points. He quarterbacked Victoria’s top power play unit and finished in a tie for third among WHL rookie defencemen in scoring.
Pantelas also enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The 6’2” defender recorded six goals and 31 assists for 37 points in 68 games, and helped Canada capture bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Verhoeff’s rise has been equally impressive.
During his lone season with Victoria in 2024-25, he scored 21 goals and 45 points, setting a Royals single season record for goals by a defenceman. His 21 goals were also the most by a 16-year-old WHL defenceman since 1985. He now plays for the University of North Dakota.
All three players were listed in the Top-50 of NHL Central Scouting’s final North American rankings in April.
Verhoeff ranked fourth and is expected to be a Top-10 pick. Pantelas and Runtso checked in at No. 46 and No. 48, projecting them as early to mid-round selections.
Runtso, who is committed to Miami University (Ohio) for the 2026-27 season, said his focus remains unchanged regardless of where or when he is selected.
“It doesn’t matter really how the draft goes,” he said. “I’m still trying to go to college and do everything I can and be the best player I can be.”
The NHL Draft will take place on June 26 and 27.
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