Ruck twins making Penguins debuts, but not together

The Pittsburgh Penguins believe twin brothers Liam and Markus Ruck will be a huge part of their future, as the organization tries to assemble a roster that can produce more championship-level hockey following the respective retirements of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. These two standout Canadian  forwards dazzled general manager Kyle Dubas with their sublime on-ice chemistry, but now they will be forced to stand on their own.

The Ruck twins, who were selected within 17 picks of each other at the 2026 NHL Draft, have been split into two different groups at Penguins’ developmental camp, per NHL.com’s Wes Crosby.

Liam and Markus willed this dream into existence and want nothing more than to make it to The Show together. Their synergy was on full display on the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers, with the latter leading the junior ice hockey circuit with 108 points and the former coming in right behind him at 104. Pittsburgh wishes to see them branch out as individual talents, however.

The 18-year-olds have largely experienced this sport alongside each other, so competing on opposite sides will surely require an adjustment period. They still have the same objective, however: help the Penguins compete for a Stanley Cup. That foremost mission is only in the early stages, but this first test could determine how the Ruck brothers begin their respective NHL careers.

Pittsburgh grabbed Liam Ruck with the No. 22 overall pick, leaving Markus to wait a whole night to learn his fate. The superb duo kept the faith, though, and sure enough, Dubas took Markus Ruck with the No. 39 selection. All-time great Sidney Crosby welcomed them into the organization during a phone call that they will forever cherish.

Liam is a high-level scorer who found the net 45 times for Medicine Hat last season. Markus is a splendid playmaker who totaled a league-best 87 assists. Their skill sets perfectly compliment each other, which is why some fans would prefer to keep them in the same developmental group.

Fortunately, twins usually find their way back to one another.