- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,190,370
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Markus Ruck and Liam Ruck
Credit: Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted identical twins Liam Ruck and Markus Ruck in back-to-back rounds of the NHL Draft this past weekend
- Liam and Markus are from Osoyoos, British Columbia and played together for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League
- Markus told the Associated Press it was "so special" for the twins to continue playing together in the NHL
Markus Ruck could barely sleep Friday night, as his mind raced about whether he’d still get to play hockey alongside his identical twin brother, Liam, after doing so most of their lives.
Liam, who was born eight minutes earlier, was selected No. 22 by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, June 26, in the opening round of the 2026 NHL Draft. The second round, which began on the morning of Saturday, June 27, saw the Penguins with the No. 39 overall pick. Seven picks into Round 2, the twins braced for serendipity: The Penguins called Markus’ name.
“I didn’t have a preference of when [I wanted to be drafted], I just knew where I wanted to go and who I wanted be with,” Markus told the AP at the draft in Buffalo, N.Y., this past weekend.
Whether Markus, 18, remained on the board long enough to be able to join his 18-year-old twin brother in Pittsburgh was the biggest question on the minds of the siblings from Osoyoos, British Columbia, who have played together since they were young kids just learning to skate.
You must be registered for see images attach
Liam Ruck and Markus Ruck
Credit: Jonathan Kozub/Getty
The twins were stars of the Western Hockey League as teammates playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers, in Alberta, according to the Associated Press. Markus led the WHL junior hockey league with 108 points, while Liam was second with 104. Both were expected to be early-round draft picks. But landing on the same team? The twins didn’t realize it was possible until Friday night.
Markus told the outlet that Liam “kept me calm” overnight between draft rounds “and told me it was going to happen.”
When the twins heard Markus' name called Saturday, Markus turned to hug Liam, NHL.com reported: a dream come true for them both.
“It was important for us to hug each other first,” Markus told the website. “Obviously, our family’s helped us so much, but we’ve been side by side through every step of the way. So, yeah, it was special hugging him.”
Markus added about the overnight wait: “It was stressful. But yeah, I was just kind of praying and hoping that Pittsburgh would take me, and to have that happen, there’s not many words to describe it.”
The twins' mother, Nina Ruck, told NHL.com having her sons drafted to the same team was "something that I’ve wanted to happen forever."
You must be registered for see images attach
Markus and Liam Ruck pose with their family at the NHL Draft
Credit: Joe Hrycych/Getty
"They’re better together," the twins' mother said. "They’re best friends. And I had a sleepless night, but it was all worth it. Yeah, it was great. We’re so excited, and we couldn’t be more happy.”
Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE's free sports newsletter — sign up now!
Later after celebrating with their family — and after the Penguins introduced the brothers with a side-by-side photo of the identical twins wearing their new team’s jersey — Markus joked to an AP reporter that he was used to following his brother’s footsteps, pointing out that he had also been born eight minutes after Liam.
"He can brag to me all he wants,” Markus joked during his interview with the AP. “I'm just so happy to be with him. I know he won't brag, but if he wanted to, he could. “To be with him, it's so special."
Read the original article on People
Continue reading...
