Markus Ruck
| Markus Ruck | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
February 21, 2008 Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 167 lb (76 kg; 11 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| WHL team | Medicine Hat Tigers | ||
| NHL draft |
39th overall, 2026 Pittsburgh Penguins | ||
Markus Ruck (born February 21, 2008) is a Canadian ice hockey player who is a forward for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He is the identical twin brother of Liam Ruck.
Playing career
[edit]Ruck and his twin brother were members of the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton.[1] With the U15 team, he posted seven goals and 25 assists in 30 games during the 2021–22 season.[2] He then recorded 22 goals and 65 assists for a total of 87 points in 2022–23, followed by 18 goals and 44 assists for a total of 62 points in 2023–24.[2] Ruck was selected by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the first round, with the 21st overall pick, of the 2023 Western Hockey League (WHL) Prospects Draft.[3] His brother Liam had been selected by the Tigers with the ninth overall pick.[3]
Ruck appeared in two games for the Tigers during the 2023–24 season.[2] In 2024–25, he and his brother helped the team to a win at the WHL championship, as Markus recorded eight goals and 21 assists in 62 games.[2][3] After Gavin McKenna and Ryder Ritchie departed the Tigers, the Ruck twins saw expanded roles in 2025–26.[4] For the 2025–26 season, they were the two leading scorers in the WHL.[5] Appearing in 68 games, Markus posted 21 goals and 87 assists for a total of 108 points, leading the WHL in scoring and leading the entire Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in assists, while his brother finished second in the WHL with 104 points.[1][2][6] They were both named first-team WHL Eastern Conference all-stars and were invited to the WHL Prospects Game, where they served as alternate captains.[3][7]
Ruck and his brother were considered top prospects for the 2026 NHL entry draft.[8] They were both selected in the draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins: Liam in the first round, with the 22th pick, and Markus in the second round, with the 39th pick.[9]
Both brothers announced their commitment to play for the University of North Dakota beginning in the 2027–28 season on June 22, 2026.[10]
International play
[edit]Ruck and his brother both competed for Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.[11] Later that year, the two both played at the 2024 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and helped their team to the gold medal.[11] Markus Ruck tallied two goals and two assists in five games at the tournament.[2] The brothers also competed at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and won a bronze medal, with Markus posting four assists in five games.[1][2]
Personal life
[edit]Ruck was born on February 21, 2008, in Osoyoos, British Columbia.[2] He and his brother Liam are identical mirror twins; according to The Athletic, "they do everything opposite. Markus is a left-handed shot who writes with his right hand. Liam is a right-handed shot who writes with his left hand. They bat, golf and throw a ball opposite."[1] Markus was born first, by eight minutes.[12] Their father, Derek, also played in the WHL.[1][13] The brothers grew up in Osoyoos.[1] At two years old, they began skating, and they also played baseball and soccer growing up.[1][12] Since childhood, they have been best friends with Anaheim Ducks prospect Mathis Preston, who was drafted shortly after the twins.[11]
Career statistics
[edit]Regular season and playoffs
[edit]Bold indicates led league
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2023–24 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 62 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2025–26 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 68 | 21 | 87 | 108 | 28 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 2 | ||
| WHL totals | 132 | 29 | 108 | 137 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 8 | ||||
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wheeler, Scott (May 16, 2026). "Meet Liam and Markus Ruck, the twins who've shot up 2026 NHL Draft boards". The Athletic.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Markus Ruck". Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Ruck twins making their Mark". Kelowna Courier. April 3, 2026.
- ↑ Ewen, Steve (March 18, 2026). "The Tiger Twins Grew Up In Osoyoos With A Bedroom In Canucks Colours". The Vancouver Sun. p. N11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Houston, Brogan (May 21, 2026). "These twin brothers took over the WHL. They could do the same at the NHL draft". Deseret News.
- ↑ Hall, Jordan (June 13, 2026). "'This kid is a hell of a player' — Flyers could draft 45-goal, 104-point winger". NBC Sports Philadelphia.
- ↑ Lockhart, Logan (February 12, 2026). "Okanagan twins to serve as alternate captains at WHL Prospects Game". Similkameen Spotlight.
- ↑ Wilson, Kent (March 17, 2026). "Should The Flames Target Both Ruck Twins?". Calgary Herald. p. N9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (June 27, 2026). "Shared dream comes true for Ruck twins with Penguins at 2026 NHL Draft". National Hockey League.
- ↑ Schlossman, Brad (2026-06-22). "UND lands the Ruck twins, the top two scorers in Canadian major junior hockey". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- 1 2 3 Lockhart, Logan (November 15, 2024). "South Okanagan best friends win gold medals at U17 World Challenge". Penticton Western News. p. A7 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Morreale, Mike G. (June 18, 2026). "Ruck twins bring proven chemistry to 2026 NHL Draft". National Hockey League.
- ↑ Lacey, Keith (August 2, 2017). "Osoyoos' talented Ruck twins have identical goals to play in the NHL". Times Chronicle.
External links
[edit]- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database