Ruck twins reunited in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Penguins selected Markus Ruck in the second round of the NHL Draft, picking him 39th overall. This selection reunites him with his twin brother, Liam Ruck, who was drafted by the Penguins as the 22nd overall pick in the first round. The brothers, who are 18 years old, have played together throughout their hockey careers and expressed a desire to continue doing so in the NHL.
Markus Ruck, a playmaking centre, recorded 108 points, including 21 goals and 87 assists, in 68 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers last season. He also contributed 13 points in 15 playoff games. Liam Ruck, a shooter on the wing, achieved 104 points, with 45 goals and 59 assists, during the same season. Both brothers are scheduled to play one more season in the Western Hockey League before committing to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season.
The Ruck brothers are the first set of twins drafted by the same team since Justin and Drew Daniels were selected by the San Jose Sharks in the 2008 NHL Draft. Markus, who is eight minutes older than Liam, described feeling stressed before his selection, but expressed immense joy at the outcome. Liam had hoped Pittsburgh’s management, led by President and General Manager Kyle Dubas, would also draft his brother.
Penguins’ additional draft selections
On the second day of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Penguins made five additional selections. Following Markus Ruck, they drafted defenseman Tomas Galvas 54th overall. Galvas, 20, recorded 24 points in 32 games with Bílí Tygři Liberec in Czechia and earned a silver medal at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
The team then selected forward Pierce Mbuyi 86th overall. Mbuyi, 18, served as an alternate captain for the Owen Sound Attack, tallying 75 points in 68 games. He was named the 2025 OHL Rookie of the Year and is committed to Penn State University for the 2026-27 season. The Penguins also drafted defenseman Parker Von Richter 111th overall, acquiring the pick from the Boston Bruins. Von Richter, 20, recorded 49 points in 66 games split between the Brampton Steelheads and Barrie Colts, and is committed to the University of New Hampshire for the 2026-27 season.
The final selection for the Penguins on day two was goaltender Matvei Nikonovich, 160th overall, a pick acquired from the Nashville Predators. Nikonovich, 17, played for Ladia Togliatti in the MHL in Russia, where he had a 20-14-4 record in 38 games with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.
Other notable draft picks
Other teams also made significant selections during the draft. The Vancouver Canucks opened the second round by taking Brooks Rogowski at 33rd overall. The Calgary Flames chose winger Chase Harrington at 36th overall and later selected Joe Iginla, son of former captain Jarome Iginla, with the 65th pick to start the third round.
The Flames continued their draft by adding centre Egor Barabanov 100th overall, forward Simon Katolicky 132nd overall, and defenseman Bode Laylin 164th overall. The Toronto Maple Leafs, after selecting Gavin McKenna first overall on Friday, made four selections in the third round, including defenseman Ethan MacKenzie 69th overall, winger Zach Olsen 73rd overall, blueliner Mans Gudmundsson 76th overall, and netminder Juuso Ainasto 85th overall. Toronto also acquired two 2026 third-round picks from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for blueliner Brandon Carlo.
The Ottawa Senators selected winger Alan Shaikhlislamov 55th overall, while the Montreal Canadiens picked Timofei Runtso 57th overall. The Edmonton Oilers drafted centre Rudolfs Berzkalns 58th overall, and the Maple Leafs concluded the second round by grabbing defenseman Alexander Bilecki 60th overall.
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Source: globalnews.ca
