Every NHL Draft has its emotional moments.
A kid hears his name. A family cries. A team puts a jersey over his shoulders. The cameras catch it, the crowd cheers, and for a few minutes, everything feels bigger than hockey.
But what happened with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ruck twins was different.
This was not just one dream coming true. It was two. Together.
The Penguins selected Liam Ruck 22nd overall in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. Then, less than 24 hours later, they went back to the same family and selected his twin brother Markus Ruck 39th overall in the second round.
For two brothers from Osoyoos, British Columbia, who have spent almost their entire lives side-by-side, it was the kind of draft weekend you would almost be afraid to write into a movie because it feels too perfect.
One team. One organization. One future.
And yes, Sidney Crosby even called them.
Identical Twins, But Not The Same Player
The easy headline is that Liam and Markus Ruck are identical twins.
But the better hockey story is that they are not identical players.
Their family has described them as “mirror twins,” which basically means they are opposite in a lot of ways. Markus shoots left. Liam shoots right. Markus is the passer. Liam is the finisher. Markus sees the play coming. Liam finds the soft ice and makes teams pay.
That is what makes the fit so fascinating.
Pittsburgh did not just draft a cute family story. They drafted two players who actually make sense together.
Markus is more of the setup man. He is the player who wants the puck on his stick, wants to slow things down, wants to pull defenders toward him and open lanes. Liam is more of the trigger man. He has that scorer’s instinct, that ability to get into quiet areas and be ready when the puck arrives.
That is not a gimmick. That is chemistry.
And the numbers back it up.
The Junior Chemistry Was Ridiculous
The Ruck twins were not just good with the Medicine Hat Tigers. They were one of the best offensive stories in junior hockey.
Markus led the WHL with 108 points, putting up 21 goals and 87 assists. Liam finished right behind him with 104 points, including 45 goals and 59 assists.
Read that again.
The twins finished first and second in WHL scoring.
That does not happen by accident.
Markus was feeding pucks. Liam was burying them. The two pushed each other, read off each other, and turned Medicine Hat into one of the most dangerous offensive teams in junior hockey.
There is something different about twins who have played together forever. They do not need to look twice. They know where the other one is going. They know the little habits. They know when to hold the puck for an extra second and when to move it right away.
That kind of connection is almost impossible to manufacture.
The Penguins just drafted it.
Liam Went First — But His First Thought Was Markus
Liam got the big moment first.
When the Penguins called his name at 22nd overall, it was a first-round dream. But even in that moment, Markus was right there. Liam hugged his brother after being picked, and Markus reportedly told him, “Love you, brother.”
That moment said a lot.
This was not one brother getting ahead of the other. This was one brother arriving and immediately hoping the other one would follow.
After being drafted, Liam made it clear how much Markus means to him.
“We’ve been through everything together,” Liam said. “It was a special hug.”
That is the part fans should love.
Liam was not pretending this was just another draft pick. He knew exactly what it meant. He knew he had reached the NHL doorstep, but he also knew the weekend would not feel complete unless Markus got to walk through that same door.
For a few hours, that was the nervous part.
Markus Had To Wait — And It Was Not Easy
The second day of the draft could have gone a lot of different ways.
Another team could have grabbed Markus before Pittsburgh got another chance. The Penguins could have gone in a different direction. Draft boards can get messy fast, and teams do not usually make picks just because the story feels nice.
Markus admitted he was stressed.
“I was pretty stressed,” Markus said. “Liam told me everything’s gonna be OK and will work itself out.”
Then Pittsburgh stepped up at 39th overall.
The Penguins did not just reunite the brothers. They completed one of the coolest draft stories in recent memory.
Markus knew how unlikely it was.
“We knew it was gonna be very tough for a team to do this,” Markus said. “We just can’t thank Pittsburgh enough.”
That is what made it hit harder. The twins understood the odds. Their family understood the odds. Everybody watching understood the odds.
And somehow, it still happened.
What Sets Liam Apart
Liam Ruck is the more natural goal scorer of the two.
That is not a slight to Markus. It is just the way their games split.
Liam scored 45 goals this past season, and his game is built around timing, instincts and getting into the right spots. He is not just standing around waiting for tap-ins either. He has a feel for where offence is going to happen before it actually opens up.
That matters.
Goal scorers often talk about “finding holes,” and Liam already seems to understand that part of the game at a high level. He knows how to disappear from coverage, arrive at the right second, and finish plays that other players might not even see developing.
The Penguins also clearly liked more than just the numbers. Kyle Dubas praised Liam’s talent, enthusiasm, intelligence and how much he loves being part of a contending team.
That is important for Pittsburgh.
This is an organization that has lived through the Crosby-Malkin-Letang era. Skill matters, obviously. But compete, intelligence and buy-in matter too.
Liam appears to bring all of that.
What Sets Markus Apart
Markus Ruck is the playmaker.
The 87 assists tell you that right away, but assists alone do not explain the whole thing.
Markus has vision. He processes the ice well. He is the one who can connect plays, extend possessions, and create offence without forcing it. That is usually the difference between a player who simply passes the puck and a player who actually drives offence.
He also has some versatility. He has been listed as a centre, but has played wing as well. That gives Pittsburgh more options with his development.
And the best part? His game naturally fits beside Liam.
You can almost see the projection already. Markus draws coverage. Liam slips into space. Markus finds him. Liam finishes.
Again, it sounds simple. But when two players have been doing it their entire lives, it becomes dangerous.
The Sidney Crosby Call Made It Even More Real
As if being drafted by the Penguins together was not enough, the twins also got a call from Sidney Crosby.
That is where this story really turns from special to surreal.
Imagine being 18 years old, getting drafted by Pittsburgh, and then hearing from the face of the franchise. Not just any franchise, either. The Penguins. Sidney Crosby’s Penguins.
Their mother, Nina, said the boys were glowing after Crosby called them.
That part is easy to believe.
For young Canadian players, Crosby is not just a great NHL player. He is the standard. He is the player so many kids grew up watching, copying and dreaming about. To get drafted into his organization is already massive. To have him personally call you after it happens?
That is the kind of thing you remember forever.
And for Pittsburgh, it also sends a message. The Penguins are in a transition point as an organization, but Crosby is still part of the bridge between what they have been and what they are trying to become.
For Liam and Markus, that call probably made it feel real.
Why This Matters For Pittsburgh
This draft was not just about adding prospects.
It was about adding belief.
The Penguins need young talent. They need upside. They need players who can become part of the next wave while the franchise slowly moves beyond its golden era.
The Ruck twins give them that.
No, they are not finished products. Both will need to get stronger. Both will need to improve their explosiveness. Both are expected to return to Medicine Hat before eventually heading to North Dakota.
But that is fine.
This is not about rushing them.
This is about development, patience and upside. Pittsburgh now has two high-end junior producers who already understand each other at a level most linemates never reach.
That is a pretty good place to start.
A Draft Story Penguins Fans Can Actually Feel Good About
Let’s be honest, not every draft pick grabs fans emotionally right away.
This one does.
The Penguins drafted two brothers who wanted to stay together, two players who dominated junior hockey together, and two prospects who now get to chase the NHL together.
That does not guarantee anything.
Prospects still have to develop. Junior production does not automatically turn into NHL production. There will be work, pressure, setbacks and hard days coming.
But for one weekend in Buffalo, the hockey world got a story that felt pure.
Liam Ruck heard his name.
Markus Ruck waited, stressed, hoped, and then heard his too.
The Penguins got both.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, Sidney Crosby picked up the phone and welcomed the next generation to Pittsburgh.
That is not just a draft story.
That is a hockey story.
