Timofei Runtso
2025-26 Team: Victoria Royals (WHL)
Date of Birth: July 6, 2007
Place of Birth: Marina Del Rey, California
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 186 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Defenseman
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 second-year eligible
Rankings
Timofei Runtso has become one of the biggest risers in the 2026 draft class after going undrafted last season. He’s jumped five spots from the Midterm to the final NHL Central Scouting Rankings after finishing a breakout season in the Western Hockey League (WHL).
The 6‑foot‑2, 186‑pound right‑shot defenseman played this past season for the Victoria Royals after making an impressive leap from the North American Hockey League (NAHL), where he put up 27 points for the St. Cloud Norsemen.
Victoria did not make the playoffs and had an up-and-down season, but Runtso took over a big role after the Royals lost a significant number of players, including Keaton Verhoeff, a projected top‑five pick in this draft cycle. Runtso stepped into top‑pairing minutes and became the team’s most relied‑upon defenseman.
He also took part in the WHL Prospects Game for Team West in February, playing on the second pairing. His workload increased throughout the season, and playing in the prospects game certainly got him more eyes from NHL scouts.
Runtso grew up in Los Angeles as the son of Belarusian immigrants. His father, Andrei Runtso, played professional hockey in Belarus, France, and the United States before becoming a stuntman in Los Angeles. That background is a big reason why Runtso grew up playing in the Los Angeles Kings Development Program. He committed to Miami University (NCHC) in August 2024, before Anthony Noreen’s first season as head coach, and Miami clearly had an eye for his talent early.
Offensively, Runtso put together a strong season. He led all WHL rookie defensemen in scoring for a good portion of the season and finished with 44 points (11 goals, 33 assists). He led the Royals’ defensive corps in scoring as a rookie and scored two game-winning goals.
Runtso quarterbacked the power play, scoring four goals on the man advantage, and ran the unit from the blue line as a mobile guy who walks the blue line and fires pucks through screens with a heavy, accurate wrister – he put 163 shots on goal, the most in the d-corps. On the man advantage, he led the team in assists with 15 and finished with four goals, placing him second in power-play points with 19.
He can play on the penalty kill with his versatility and discipline, finishing the season with only 28 penalty minutes. His ability to handle a heavy workload and contribute in all situations was a major part of Victoria’s identity.
NHL Draft Projection
I see Runtso landing in the early-third to mid-fourth round. If I were an NHL general manager (GM), I would take him in the third because the upside is completely there, and I trust where his development is headed. He is joining a Miami program that is back on the rise under Noreen, surrounded by other NHL picks and potential future NHL players like Ilia Morozov, Vladislav Lukashevich, and Matteo Giampa. That is exactly the development path I’d invest in as a GM.
Other THW Profiles
Quotables
“Runtso is an exciting defender who plays at his best inside the offensive zone. He can command play from the blueline but also has a knack for jumping down the walls or activating down the middle to create opportunities for himself and teammates. He blends skill and deception to shake pressure and has a great eye for finding cross-ice seams and passing lanes.” – McKeen’s Hockey
“His feet aren’t quite up to par with other prototypical blueliners that push the same high-octane offensive game, but he still moves around the zone well enough to make things happen. Defensively, Runtso remains a work in progress. While he has tightened up his play over the season, he tends to be quite static against the rush, as he concedes the middle too easily on zone entries and misses opportunities to step up and seal attackers down the walls. He can kill plays with well-timed stickwork, but will need to work on his agility, positioning, and physicality to be a more effective defender against tougher competition.” – McKeen’s Hockey
“Runtso wasn’t on anyone’s radar a year ago while playing with the NAHL’s St. Cloud Norsemen. He played around 15-17 minutes a night early on in the season but is now playing north of 20 routinely…Runtso’s offensive game continues to improve, and I think it’s because he’s shown a greater willingness to be aggressive on the attack. He’s fearless, and you notice him (positively) nearly every time he hits the ice. Runtso will either shut someone down or get the puck down the ice.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
Strengths
- Two-Way Game
- Hockey IQ
- Can Play Heavy Workload
- Special Teams Versatility
- Playmaking
- Passing
- Accurate & Heavy Wrister
Under Construction/Improvements to Make
- Physicality
- Rush Defense
- Defensive Positioning
NHL Potential
Runtso projects as a future versatile defenseman at the NHL level who is not done developing whatsoever. I can almost certainly guarantee he is going to play a big role in Miami’s special teams next season. Their power play struggled immensely last season, and Runtso can help fix those issues. Noreen will not be afraid to throw him right in there and let him grow, just like he did with Morozov last season.
I can see a future NHL defenseman if his development path continues trending upward. How he fares in the tight‑checking NCHC, the best conference in college hockey with eight of the last ten national championships, will be a major indicator of where he goes.
Risk/Reward Analysis
Risk – 2/5, Reward – 4/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense – 7/10, Defense – 7/10
Awards/Achievements
- T1EHL 14U Champion (2021-22)
- US 15U Nationals Tier I Champion (2022-23)
- NAHL (Central) Rookie of the Year (2024-25)
- Victoria Royals Top Defenseman Award (2025-26)
Interviews/Links
Timofei Runtso Stats
Videos
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