Penguins draft – Pittsburgh picked winger Liam Ruck 22nd overall on Friday, then followed with twin brother Markus Ruck 39th overall on Saturday—after both brothers told NHL teams they hoped to land together and after Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas hinted the dream was
On Saturday, the Penguins doubled down on family—selecting twin brother Markus Ruck 39th overall in the second round of the NHL Draft, just a day after choosing Liam Ruck 22nd overall in the first round.
The chemistry between Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is hard to miss in Pittsburgh. But the team’s latest pair of additions come with something rarer: the same last name, the same history, and a shared plan that played out in interviews.
Markus Ruck, who played alongside Liam with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL, leaned into a playmaking role in major junior. He finished the 2025-26 season with 21 goals and 87 assists, and he led the WHL in scoring this season.
Liam’s profile looked different on the ice. He turned in a scoring surge with 45 goals and 59 assists in the regular season. In the final WHL scoring standings, Liam finished second.
When NHL teams spoke with the twins, the message stayed consistent: they hoped to be drafted by the same organization. In interviews, the brothers told teams they wanted to end up together.
Kyle Dubas, the Penguins general manager, even addressed the possibility when asked if Pittsburgh could select Markus after taking Liam. “I think at the combine they said they’d spent four nights apart total in their whole lives. So, I think that would make sense, if that’s the way that the board falls tomorrow,” Dubas told reporters.
The twins aren’t just chasing a coincidence—they’re chasing an inspiration. Markus and Liam from Osoyoos, B.C., have long idolized the Sedin twins, who were selected by the Vancouver Canucks with the second and third picks in the 1999 NHL Draft.
Their connection to that lineage runs deeper than admiration. Tigers coach Willie Dejsardins has ties to both sets of twins, having coached the Canucks during his time as Vancouver’s bench boss.
Before the Penguins added them to their future, the Medicine Hat Tigers had already placed both brothers into their own development paths. The Tigers selected Liam ninth overall and Markus 21st in the 2023 WHL Draft.
Now, with Liam already in the fold and Markus officially chosen the very next day, the story that began in junior hockey—twins sharing the same orbit—has landed in the NHL draft’s most straightforward form. The board fell that way, and the Penguins took the chance.
NHL Draft Pittsburgh Penguins Liam Ruck Markus Ruck Kyle Dubas Medicine Hat Tigers WHL Osoyoos Sedin twins
Wait so they took one Ruck then the other the next day?? That’s kinda crazy, I didn’t even know brothers were in the draft like that.
This is why I don’t trust NHL teams, like yeah “chemistry” but it’s still just draft picks. Crosby and Malkin are old news too, so what are they doing besides collecting twins?
They said they only spent four nights apart? That’s either adorable or totally a red flag if they can’t handle pressure. Also Sedin twins influence?? I mean Sedins were in 1999 so idk how that guarantees anything in 2026.
I saw the headline and thought Pittsburgh traded up again lol. If Dubas was basically like “the board falls” that sounds like he planned it, not just luck. Also Markus 39th and Liam 22nd… seems like one of them is gonna bust, that’s just how drafts go. But hey twins together, maybe they’ll copy the Sedins or whatever.