Penguins Add Scoring Prospect
Pittsburgh Penguins Bolster Future Offense, Draft Liam Ruck 22nd Overall in NHL Draft
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Key Points
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Liam Ruck has a twin brother, Markus, who is also a top prospect in the same draft class; NHL Central Scouting ranked Liam as the 20th North American skater and Markus as the 23rd, with Markus expected to be an early second-day selection.
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The Ruck family story includes strong supportive dynamics: Liam’s mother, Nina, described how the brothers are '10 out of 10' and 'best friends,' continually pushing each other to improve.
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Liam Ruck’s WHL career includes 132 games with 71 goals and 147 points, plus 33 playoff games with 14 goals and 22 points, and he was part of the Medicine Hat Tigers’ 2025 Ed Chynoweth Cup championship run.
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Liam Ruck hails from Osoyoos, British Columbia, is committed to the University of North Dakota and will begin NCAA play in 2027; Pittsburgh also secured him as their 22nd overall pick—the Penguins’ only first-round selection in this draft.
The Pittsburgh Penguins selected Liam Ruck with the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on June 26, making him the franchise's only first-round choice this year. Ruck, a 6'0", 176-pound right winger from Osoyoos, British Columbia, posted 45 goals and 59 assists in 68 WHL games for the Medicine Hat Tigers — 104 points total with a plus-47 rating, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The very next morning, Pittsburgh doubled down. The Penguins selected Liam's twin brother, Markus Ruck, 39th overall on Day 2 of the draft, reuniting the brothers in the same organization. The Hockey News called it a surprise move that instantly became the draft's most talked-about family story.
A Clinical Finisher Built for the 200-Foot Game
Liam Ruck described himself as a "smart, 200-foot player" — meaning he works hard on both ends of the ice, not just offense. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 20th among North American skaters. Scouts praised his "quick-release, off-the-catch scoring" and his ability to find openings from awkward spots, according to Elite Prospects.
Over 132 WHL regular-season games, Ruck totaled 71 goals and 147 points. He also added 14 goals and 22 points in 33 playoff games. That postseason run helped the Medicine Hat Tigers win the 2025 Ed Chynoweth Cup — the WHL championship — alongside Gavin McKenna, the player who went 1st overall to Toronto the night before.
Pittsburgh Bets on Twin Chemistry for Post-Crosby Era
Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas framed the picks as part of a "brick-by-boring-brick" rebuild. He said the team lacked the assets to trade up for a bigger name and instead focused on "competitiveness and intelligence," according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The move signals a clear shift away from the win-now trades that defined the Sidney Crosby years.
Markus, the twin selected 39th overall, was the WHL's leading scorer in 2025-26 with 108 points — 21 goals and 87 assists in 68 games. Daily Faceoff noted the back-to-back selections gave Pittsburgh a rare "mirror twin" pairing: Liam as the shooter, Markus as the playmaker. NHL Central Scouting had ranked Markus 23rd among North American skaters, just three spots behind his brother.
The Ruck Family: Best Friends Pushing Each Other Forward
The brothers' mother, Nina Ruck, spoke openly about their bond at the draft. She said Liam and Markus are "10 out of 10" and "best friends" who have never spent more than four days apart, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She credited that closeness with pushing both players to improve every season.
Both twins are committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season. They plan to spend one more year in the WHL first. That means Pittsburgh likely won't see them at the professional level for at least three more years — a timeline that fits Dubas's long-term rebuilding plan rather than a quick fix around Crosby's final seasons.
McKenna Goes First as Bieber Reads the Pick in Buffalo
Before the Rucks made headlines, the night opened with a splash in Toronto. The Maple Leafs selected Gavin McKenna 1st overall at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Pop star Justin Bieber announced the pick live on stage, according to CityNews Toronto. McKenna, a cousin of NHL star Connor Bedard, played the 2025-26 season at Penn State and put up 51 points in 35 games.
McKenna was a former Medicine Hat teammate of the Ruck twins. He was widely seen as the runaway favorite for the top pick after the Maple Leafs won the draft lottery on May 5. Some scouts called him a "generational talent." His selection closed a remarkable chapter for the Tigers — with two 22nd and 39th overall picks and a 1st overall all coming from the same WHL squad.
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