The Ruck Twins Are Becoming a Nice Little Draft Day Problem
Here’s a neat idea that I got from Ryan Pick of FlamesNation today. In a similar way to the Sedin brothers in 1999, is it possible the Calgary Flames — given all their draft picks — might grab both Liam and Markus Ruck, who played just east of Calgary with the Medicine Hat Tigers?
Who are the Ruck twins, and how good are they?
The Ruck twins, Liam and Markus, were born Feb. 21, 2008. They’re from Osoyoos in B.C.’s gorgeous Okanagan Valley. They’ve basically been hockey roommates forever — first in the Okanagan Hockey Academy and then with Medicine Hat. Liam shoots right, Markus shoots left; Markus is listed as a centre but has mostly played wing in the WHL, while Liam’s a winger who has shown he can light the lamp.
Both got picked by Medicine Hat in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft — Liam went ninth overall, Markus slipped to 21st after the Tigers traded up to snag him. They debuted in 2023-24 (Liam on Nov. 22, Markus on Nov. 25), but didn’t actually share the ice in a regular-season game that year. Fast forward to the 2024-25 opener on Sept. 21, 2024, and bam — both scored in their first game together.
The Rucks had solid rookie seasons, but were better this year.
Their rookie seasons were solid. Liam put up 41 points in 61 games; Markus chipped in 29 points in 62. In the 2025 playoffs, Liam played more, scored more, and even made the Memorial Cup roster. Although Markus didn’t, coaches and scouts liked both for different reasons. With Gavin McKenna gone this season, the twins were leaned on hard, and they answered the call in a big way.
This year was amazing: Liam exploded for 45 goals and 104 points, while Markus scored 21 and somehow out-pointed him (87 assists) with 108. They finished first and second in WHL scoring. Markus tried some centre minutes but won only 48.8% of his draws. So once Andrew Basha joined in January, Markus slid back to the wing more often. Bottom line: they dominate together, but they’re not identical players.
Could the “hometown” Flames grab both of them?
Now the draft interest. Neither twin is expected to go in the top half of Round 1, but what if Liam gets picked in the early 20s? The next team up could take his twin. If Markus keeps producing, the market could get really interesting and fast. Teams would love sibling combos because chemistry is a rare commodity.
The Flames happen to own Vegas’ pick, likely somewhere in the 20s (24–31 depending on playoff results). Plus, they’ve got four second-rounders projected around 35, 36, 52, and 56. Is there a chance they could trade around so they can choose Markus? It might not be cheap. But it might be exactly the kind of swing a GM like Craig Conroy might consider.