Ruck twins separated on 1st day of Penguins development camp

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Liam and Markus Ruck are normally attached at the hip, but that changed on Monday.

In their first day of development camp with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 18-year-old twin brothers were split between two practice groups. Liam, selected in the first round (No. 22) of the 2026 NHL Draft, went first; Markus, a second-round pick (No. 39), joined the next session.

The forwards have gone no longer than four days apart since Markus was born eight minutes ahead of Liam on Feb. 21, 2008, in Osoyoos, British Columbia.

Monday probably didn’t represent a long-term shift that Liam would prefer to avoid.

“It definitely could, but I hope not,” Liam said. “I think we’re both pretty competitive guys, and we compete with each other every day. I think knowing that, we’re going to kind of go on the same trajectory and hopefully come in at the same time. But we’ll see what happens.”

They’ll stay apart before facing each other in a tournament to conclude camp on Friday.

“I think it’s for sure important to learn to play apart from each other,” Markus said. “In case of an injury or we’re not on the same team, for whatever reason, it’s very important to play apart.

“I think it’s good for us. I think we play better together when we’re working off one another. But it’s for sure important to play without each other too.”

In most ways, Liam and Markus are identical; they share interests, and their demeanor is similar. As babies, they were nearly impossible to tell apart, leading their parents to use color-coded bracelets or to paint their toenails.

In school, they once switched as a prank. According to Liam, it worked until lunch.

They don’t argue. Ketchup is the source of their one disagreement. Markus is a fan; Liam isn’t.

“I think pretty much the only time we would have bad -- like, almost fights -- would be in mini-sticks,” Markus said. “We do get competitive and we do want to win, and we don’t want the other one to beat us. But we would kind of just have the silent treatment for about an hour and then we start talking again.”

Differences in their game are more obvious. They were clear this past season when each played for Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League.

Markus (6-foot, 164 pounds) is a playmaker who led the WHL in points (108) and assists (87). Liam (6-0, 174) is a finisher, ranked second in the WHL in points (104) and goals (45).

Each was named to the WHL (East) First All-Star Team.

“We’re pretty similar,” Liam said. “We do a lot of things together. On the ice, he’s a bit more of a passer. I’m a bit more of a shooter. That’s a difference out there, but away from the rink, we’re pretty similar guys.”

That’s made the Ruck brothers a perfect fit. Markus, a left-handed shot, naturally sets up Liam, who shoots right.

“I think it’s just the way it worked out,” Markus said. “We don’t tell each other, ‘Hey, you score. Hey, you pass.’ It’s just kind of the way it unfolds.”​

They share a dream too -- they want to play together in the NHL. That’s likely to happen, just after a bit of a wait.

Liam and Markus will return to Medicine Hat next season and attend the University of North Dakota in 2027-28.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas thinks that could be for the best.

“As you’ll see when they’re in front of you, they’re skinny guys that are at the rink all the time, that love hockey,” Dubas said. “So, we’ll build the power in them and get them off the ice as much as they are, and get them in the gym with our staff.”

Liam hopes that takes them on a matching development path.

“I think they see what we see, and they want us to be here together and play together,” Liam said. “But they do want to see what would happen if it doesn’t work out for both of us. But hopefully, it works out for both.”

And maybe, down the line, it could lead to a shared NHL debut.

“That would be awesome if that could happen,” Markus said. “We work out together, we push each other every day and we do the same things. So, I think it could work out that way, but if not, I’d be happy for him if he got to go up first. I’m sure he’d be happy for me.

“We support each other. We compete with each other. No matter what happens, I love him.”