The Ruck Twins, Liam and Markus of the Medicine Hat Tigers, have been making headlines in the hockey world lately, with their equally impressive skill and the fact that they have rarely (if ever) played on a different team in their entire hockey careers. Will this change after the 2026 NHL Draft?
What do the scouts see in Markus Ruck?
In one of my earlier draft profiles I wrote about Liam Ruck, but this time we are here to talk about his identical twin brother, Markus Ruck, who is projected to be in the late first or early second round of the 2026 draft. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has Markus listed at 35th in his recent draft ranking.
The Rucks were born and raised in Osoyoos, BC, where in the summers they continue to help run a youth hockey camp with their dad, Derek. Markus Ruck spent most of his youth hockey career playing for the Okanagan Hockey Academy on both their varsity and prep teams. In his 2022-23 season, he racked up an impressive 87 points. Ruck was drafted 21st overall by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, and he’s played two full seasons in Medicine Hat alongside his twin brother.
In his 2024-25 season with the Tigers, he secured 8 goals and 21 assists in 62 games, beginning to make a name for himself as an elite goal-scorer. This season he also played for Team Canada White at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge. He was able to come away with 4 points in 5 games, and the team ended up winning gold.
Markus’ twin, Liam, is getting most of the love from scouts for his play-driving and goal-scoring abilities. But Markus is a special playmaker – he works as hard as anyone you’ll find in junior hockey. He loves to do the dirty work to make plays happen, no matter who he’s looking for on the ice. Markus has obvious chemistry with his brother, but he can also dazzle on his own. Markus has quickly established himself as one of the biggest risers for the draft and is in the first-round conversation at this point.
How did Markus Ruck perform this season?
Ruck’s 2025-26 season brought incredible achievements for him. He played for Team Canada in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning bronze. With the Tigers, he earned the WHL scoring title for the season with an astounding 21 goals and 87 assists, adding up to 108 points in just 68 games.
He was the first player in the league to reach 100 points this season.
How does Markus Ruck fit the Flames’ draft needs?
Ruck would bring elite playmaking skills and an impressive hockey IQ that the Flames are needing. He is known for being a team player, instead of trying to showcase his own talent. This mentality is something that would be beneficial for some of the younger players on the team to learn from him.
He is able to make plays almost anywhere, and can find the back of the net, or set up his teammates from any sort of situation. Although he is very good at being a team player, he doesn’t shy away from showing his determined, defensive skill, especially when it comes to battling for the puck.
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