Meet Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue, the elite 2028 NHL Draft duo everyone’s talking about

Nov 3, 2026, 13:00 EST

Credit: Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

Roughly 2,500 kilometers separate Regina, Saskatchewan, and Oakville, Ontario. But fans Ryan and June Hamilton made the trek. They couldn’t miss the opportunity to see their two favorite players, Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue, play for their country at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge.

“It’s not every day your favorite team is blessed with superstar talent,” Ryan said. “You’ve just got to soak it all in, no matter where they go.”

And superstars they are – already. The pair is considered by many scouts to be the top prospects for the 2028 NHL Draft after exploiting goalies at every level they’ve ever played at.

The duo has been joined at the hip for the past two years. Schultz was selected first overall by the Regina Pats at the 2025 WHL Draft, with Pue going two picks later. Since then, they’ve won silver at the 2025 U-17s, gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and obliterated goalies in the WHL.

But this week? They’re enemies, representing different Canadian squads, with only the potential to go head-to-head in the playoffs.

“It’s definitely a little weird being separated, having played with him for the last two years,” Pue said. “But I think it’s such a good opportunity for both of us to kind of lead our own teams and go through that individually.”

Stylistically, they’re quite different players, which helps. Schultz idolized Patrice Bergeron growing up for his two-way play – “He was always in the right spots defensively, never cheating.” Pue, meanwhile, tries to model his game after Auston Matthews – one of the greatest goal-scorers of his generation. Both players pay close attention to Macklin Celebrini and Connor McDavid, as expected.

The U-17 World Challenge is one of the first chances scouts outside of Western Canada get to see the pair up close. And many have wanted to see them separated. The sample size is small, but Schultz had a three-point debut against Czechia on Sunday, while Pue, surprisingly, is still seeking his first point through two games. Both are captaining their teams, too.

“They think the game at such a high level already,” one scout said. “Schultz is the brains behind so many of the great plays in Regina, while [Pue] is always in the right spot at the right time to finish them.”

The pair didn’t grow up playing together. Instead, they both belong to the same agency, Newport Sports Management, and got to know each other from some agency-run camps. They said they knew each other a little bit before the WHL Draft but realized something special was brewing when they got drafted to the same team.

WHLers get drafted a year earlier than OHLers and QMJHLers. That means they can only play partial seasons in the WHL after getting drafted before going full-time at 16. Schultz and Pue played 34 games each with Regina and another 21 in AAA. They combined for 108 points in AAA and another 45 in the Dub. It was remarkable stuff, given they kept bouncing between leagues and competition levels during a critical developmental year.

“Between the WHL and U-18 hockey, that’s a pretty big jump,” Pue said. “And you’re going through two different systems and coaches and stuff like that. So it was definitely a struggle for the most part. But I think once we kind of got the groove of things and were going every day, we got used to it.”

They’ve been absolutely electric in their first full year of WHL competition. Pue currently leads the team with 11 goals and 18 points in just 11 games, while Schultz has 14 points through 10 outings. They’ve been the best U-16 forwards in the CHL this year, both offensively and from an overall impact standpoint.

The fact that they were going through the same experience together helped their bond. When they got called back up to the big club, they skated together, primarily on the top line. They also spent significant time off the ice together, hanging out, playing golf – you know, the usual teenage hockey player hobbies.

“We’ve created a strong bond over the course of the last couple of years. I think playing together really helps with that,” Schultz said. “It translates on and off the ice. When we have a strong bond off the ice – we’ve roomed together a couple of times – then I think that translates to our chemistry on the ice.”

It’s rare to see two teammates get selected high together in the NHL Draft. The Sedin brothers are the obvious gold standard. There’s also the Terror Twins – Lucas Raymond and Alex Holtz – who both went high in 2020 (Raymond obviously gapped Holtz in the end). Other notable duos include Jack Quinn and Marco Rossi that same year; Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson went second and fifth, respectively, in 2021; and Will Smith and Ryan Leonard (and, eventually, Gabe Perreault) were among the top selections in 2023.

But Schultz and Pue are the projected top two prospects for 2028. We’ve only seen two high profile linemates go first and second like that once before. But you have to go all the way back to 1968 for that, when Réjean Houle and Marc Tardif were selected with the first two picks by Montreal. Nathan MacKinnon (first) and Jonathan Drouin (third) were the closest in the salary-cap era, dating back to 2013.

“He can really do it all,” Pue said. “He’s such a special player. He works so hard. You can’t say he’s bad at something, because he’s so good at everything.”

“He can really shoot that puck,” Schultz added. “It’s fun when you give it to him and he scores almost every time. He’s got a wicked scoring touch, and NHL teams are going to love that.”

The duo could also do something special: no Canadian has ever played in the U-17s and the World Juniors in the same year. But given their dominance in the WHL, and their unquestionable skill, they might be able to pull it off. From talking to scouts, many aren’t completely sure what type of role either of them would have. But given their WHL dominance and pure talent, they’ve got to be in the conversation, even in 13th/14th forward roles. That’s something Hockey Canada has been willing to try with younger players in the past – namely Gavin McKenna, Connor Bedard and Alexis Lafreniere.

“If I was building the team, they’d both be there,” said one OHL GM.

That decision is still a few weeks away. Neither has been told if they’re being invited to camp or not, but it’s easy to deduce that Hockey Canada is definitely evaluating the possibility up close at the U-17s. Regardless, the fact that they’re being considered for a team while going up against players with actual NHL experience shows you how dominant they are already. Right now, though, they’re both focused on leading their respective teams to gold in Oakville.

Scouts applaud the kids for being as grounded as they are. It’s easier said than done when you’ve got buildings chanting your name and anointing you as a future NHL superstar at just 15 years old. But through it all, they’ve lived up to expectations. The 2028 NHL Draft is still so far away, and so much can change.

But get your viewings in now. These kids look like the real deal.

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