CRANBERRY, Pa. — Pittsburgh’s newest pair of draft picks will get a preseason night neither is likely to forget Tuesday, when twin brothers Markus and Liam Ruck make their Penguins debuts against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG Paints Arena. The 18-year-old forwards, selected first and second by Pittsburgh in the 2026 NHL Draft, will be on the same line, with Markus in the middle and Liam on the right side.
Key takeaways
- Markus Ruck, the No. 39 pick, will center his twin brother Liam, selected No. 22 overall, against Detroit at 7 p.m. ET.
- Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are slated to dress for Pittsburgh, giving the rookies a chance to share a bench with two three-time Stanley Cup champions.
- Markus led the WHL with 108 points and 87 assists last season; Liam posted 104 points and finished second in the league with 45 goals.
- Ville Koivunen’s day-to-day upper-body injury created the opening that put Markus into Tuesday’s lineup.
- The brothers had never spent more than four straight days apart since their birth in Osoyoos, British Columbia, on Feb. 21, 2008.
A first NHL sweater, shared
Markus was born eight minutes before Liam, and the brothers have spent virtually every stage of their hockey lives together. Tuesday adds another marker: their first NHL preseason game, in the same uniform and on the same forward unit.
“It’s a special one,” Liam said. “Putting on an NHL jersey with my brother is definitely something we’ll remember.”
Markus called the opportunity the realization of a childhood goal. He had initially expected to be available only for pregame warmups, but Koivunen’s injury changed those plans and moved him into the lineup.
“We’ve always dreamed about this,” Markus said. “To wear that jersey and get onto the ice will be unbelievable.”
The twins will not be the only major names in Pittsburgh’s room. Crosby and Malkin, cornerstone members of the Penguins’ Cup-winning clubs in 2009, 2016 and 2017, are also expected to play against the Red Wings.
Liam had already joined a main camp group Saturday after opening camp with a prospect-heavy unit during the first two days. That session placed him on the ice with Crosby, whose daily standard has stood out immediately.
“Watching his habits and seeing how hard he works, it’s special to be out there with him,” Liam said.
For both brothers, the game offers a close-up look at players they watched growing up. Markus said his focus will be on more than the shifts themselves.
“You want to pick up the little things they do,” Markus said of Crosby and Malkin. “They’ve done the right things to reach that level. I’ll try to pay attention to the details, on and off the ice, and soak it all in.”
Different tools on a familiar line
The Rucks arrive from Medicine Hat with a well-established on-ice connection, but their strengths are not identical. Markus, listed at 6-foot and 172 pounds, is the left-shot distributor. Liam, 6-foot and 181 pounds, shoots right and has made a name for himself around the net and as a finisher.
Markus paced the Western Hockey League in both scoring and assists last season, recording 108 points and 87 helpers. Liam was right behind him in the points race with 104 and ranked second in goals with 45. Both earned WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team recognition.
Penguins coach Dan Muse watched the brothers at the prospect tournament in Detroit before camp opened and has seen their comfort level rise through the early practices.
“That’s what you want from young players in their first camp,” Muse said. “It has continued to build. I saw them in two games in Detroit, and now, through camp, they look increasingly comfortable.”
The brothers remain difficult to distinguish away from the rink. Their parents once used color-coded bracelets, and occasionally painted toenails, to tell them apart as babies. Muse joked that the task is far simpler once the skates are on.
“It’s much easier on the ice than off it,” Muse said.
Their family will be watching closely from British Columbia. Their mother cannot make the trip to Pittsburgh, but Markus said she is excited and will have the game on television. For the Rucks, the night is another shared chapter — even if this one comes with NHL sweaters, Crosby and Malkin in the room, and a packed building waiting for the opening faceoff.
