Should the Canucks chase twins Markus and Liam Ruck in the NHL Draft?

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The high-scoring duo from the Medicine Hat Tigers are among the players to watch in Wednesday’s WHL Prospects Game at the Langley Events Centre

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Published Feb 17, 2026 • 4 minute read

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It's twin brothers Liam (left) and Markus Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers. It’s twin brothers Liam (left) and Markus Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers. The siblings from Osoyoos are among the showcase players for Wednesday’s WHL Top Prospects Game at the Langley Event Centre, and they’re expected to be early picks in next summer’s NHL Draft.¤ Photo by Randy Feere /Medicine Hat TigerSArticle content

The text message that came in from the local hockey academy coach featured a goal highlight showing the apparent twin telepathy of Liam and Markus Ruck, followed by a single made-up word that still resonates with Vancouver Canucks fans.

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The word? “Sedinery.”

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The Rucks are 17-year-old siblings from Osoyoos and are starting to get more and more attention. They star together on a forward line for the Medicine Hat Tigers and are climbing up the ranks for this summer’s NHL draft. Liam has 33 goals and 80 points and sits third in WHL scoring. Markus is right on his tail in fourth, with 15 goals and 79 points.

They’re among the showcase players for Wednesday’s WHL Prospects Game at the Langley Events Centre. Tickets for the game are available here.

It’s hard not to look at the near identical point totals and their kismet as duo — that goal in question Monday versus the Red Deer Rebels featured left-handed shooting Markus circling the Deer Rebels net and then feathering a no-look backhand pass behind him against the flow of play to a righty shooting Liam at the back side of the net for an uncontested goal — and think of the Canucks’ longtime twin pairing of Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

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The Canucks brand has taken its hits the past couple of years. There’s reason to believe the Rucks are among the top talents in this draft and landing both would an automatic good news story in this market. There is the extra draft pick capital that the Canucks have amassed, too.

Vancouver has two first-round picks (their own and the Minnesota Wild’s from the Quinn Hughes trade) and two in the second roune (their own and the San Jose Sharks from the Kiefer Sherwood trade).

As for as draft rankings, TSN’s Craig Button, for instance, has Liam ranked at No. 22 and Markus at No. 29. Sportsnet Jason Bukala has Liam at No. 24, and doesn’t have Markus in his top 32.

“I’d try to get them both if I was with an NHL team,” Medicine Hat general manager and head coach Willie Desjardins said Tuesday morning. “Their chemistry is something else. That goal they got last night — you just don’t get goals like that.

“I’d try to make it happen. You see them do things that you don’t see other hockey players do and it works. I don’t know if you’d teach it to somebody else, but it works for them.”

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Desjardins, 69, has six years working on NHL staffs on his resume, including, of course, three seasons as bench boss of the Canucks from 2014-17, when his teams were led by the Sedins.

He maintains that any sort of big-picture comparison between the Sedins and Rucks is unfair, considering the Sedins were so good for so long. He did admit to some similarities, though.

“Markus is more of a playmaker, like Hank. And Liam’s more of a shooter, like Danny,” said Desjardins. “The Sedins are unbelievable people. You couldn’t ever work with better people. Saying that, they had a huge drive to win. The Rucks are like that. They’re probably like the Sedins were when they were that age. That’s probably a more fair comparison.”

Asked about how their games project to the NHL, Desjardins explained of the Rucks: “It’s hard to say with that one until it happens. There’s so many things that can happen. But they’re extremely good on the power play. That projects. And the other thing that projects is that they’re so dedicated to the game that whatever they’ll need to do they’ll do. If there’s something that’s hurting them a little bit, they’ll find a way around it, because of how dedicated they are and how much they want to play.”

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The Tigers used the ninth overall selection in the 2023 WHL draft to nab Liam coming off a 53-goal, 90-point campaign in a mere 27 games for the Okanagan Hockey Academy (OHA) under-15 team. Shortly after, Medicine Hat made a trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds to get the No. 21 pick and took Markus, who had 22 goals and 87 points with that same OHA team.

Elite Prospects has Liam at No. 27 for the draft. Daily Faceoff slots him at No. 42. For Markus, it’s No. 56 for Elite Prospects and No. 57 for Daily Faceoff.

Liam is a 6-foot, 175-pound right-handed shot who had 25 goals and 41 points last season. Markus is a 6-foot, 167-pound left-hand shot who produced eight goals and 29 points last season.

Medicine Hat won the WHL title, but lost several players to the NCAA ranks over the summer, most notably Gavin McKenna to Penn State.

The Prospects Game is the first all-WHL event since January 2000, when the league had an all-star game in Kelowna. Part of thinking is to increase the league’s profile in light of players leaving for the WHL for the NCAA ranks. Players from Major Junior leagues like the WHL weren’t eligible for scholarships in the American system prior to this season.

Vancouver Giants co-owners Michael Bublé and Drew Scott will be assistant coaches for the teams. Drew and his twin Jonathan are best known for their Property Brothers TV show. Drew will be helping coach the East team featuring the Rucks.

The game will be broadcast on Victory Plus.

SEwen@postmedia.com

@SteveEwen