Ruck Brothers Reunite in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Penguins have drafted Markus Ruck with the 39th overall selection in the second round of the NHL Draft, reuniting him with his twin brother, Liam Ruck, who was selected by the team a day earlier. Liam was chosen with the 22nd pick during the first round of the draft. The brothers, who are from Osoyoos, British Columbia, expressed their excitement about staying together within the same NHL organization, fulfilling a long-held dream.
Markus, who is eight minutes older than Liam, described feeling a significant level of anxiety while waiting for his name to be called after his brother’s selection. He mentioned that Liam reassured him that everything would work out. The family returned to their hotel after Liam was drafted, and Markus was still uncertain if another team would select him early on Saturday or if the Penguins would pick him at the 39th spot, or even trade up to ensure they remained together.
Markus shared his relief and joy, stating, “I was just praying and hoping. To have that happen, there’s not many words to describe it. It’s so special.” He also noted, “I didn’t really care when they picked me. I knew where I wanted to go and who I wanted to be with.”
Productive Seasons with Medicine Hat Tigers
The 18-year-old forwards are coming off successful seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers, where they finished as the top two scorers across the entire Canadian Hockey League. Markus, a playmaking centre, recorded 108 points, consisting of 21 goals and 87 assists. Liam, who plays as a shooter on the wing, registered 104 points with 45 goals and 59 assists.
Markus led the Western Hockey League in scoring, with Liam closely behind him. Markus also led the league in assists. The Medicine Hat Tigers finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 50-10-5-3 record during the 2025-26 season. Markus played in all 68 regular season games for the Tigers.
In the playoffs, Markus contributed four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 15 games. The Tigers started their playoffs strong, losing only once in their first two series before being defeated in six games in the Eastern Conference Final by the Prince Albert Raiders. The team had previously won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in the 2024-25 season with Markus on their roster.
Future Plans and Scouting Reports
The Ruck brothers are slated to play one more Western Hockey League campaign before attending the University of North Dakota in the 2027-28 academic year. Liam had expressed his hope after being drafted on Friday that the Penguins’ management team, led by president and general manager Kyle Dubas, would also select his brother.
Liam was ranked as the 20th North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, while Markus was ranked 23rd. Both brothers stand six feet tall, with Liam being 10 pounds heavier at 177 pounds. Markus acknowledged the difficulty of staying together with an NHL organization, stating, “We knew it was gonna be very tough for a team to do this. We just can’t thank Pittsburgh enough … we knew it was a pretty low chance to be honest. We couldn’t be more excited.”
The reunion of the Ruck twins was part of a draft that also saw other family connections, including Caleb Malhotra going third to Vancouver, where his father was recently hired as the Canucks’ head coach. Additionally, Joe Iginla, the youngest son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, was selected by the Calgary Flames in the third round, following his older brother Tij’s selection in the 2024 draft.
The Vegas Golden Knights forfeited their 63rd pick in the second round due to sanctions for violating media regulations. Another notable selection included Simas Ignatavicius, picked at No. 40 by the Florida Panthers, who relocated from Memphis to Lithuania with his family.
The draft also featured Brooks Rogowski, an 18-year-old from Livonia, Michigan, who chose hockey over baseball. He was selected at No. 33 by the Vancouver Canucks. Rogowski, who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 235 pounds, made a commitment to play at Michigan State in two years. He had 11 goals and 23 points in 66 games as a rookie with Oshawa, and improved to 42 points (15 goals) in 46 games last season.
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Source: sportsnet.ca
