The second coming of the Sedin twins? Okanagan twins hunt first-round double

VANCOUVER — Identical twins Liam and Markus Ruck, both of whom are projected as potential first round picks in this summer's National Hockey League Draft, powered the Medicine Hat Tigers to a series-clinching victory over the Calgary Hitmen on Wednesday evening, eliminating their Alberta rivals from the Western Hockey League playoffs..The dynamic duo from Osoyoos combined for two assists in the decisive game as the Tigers advanced in the Eastern Conference semifinal. Liam, the goal-scoring right winger, and Markus, the playmaking centre, once again demonstrated the telepathic chemistry that has defined their season and made them one of the most compelling stories in junior hockey heading into the 2026 NHL draft..The win capped a dominant series performance for Medicine Hat, which entered the second round as one of the WHL’s top contenders. The Tigers, who captured the league title the previous spring, proved too much for a gritty Hitmen squad sweeping the series in only four games.For the Rucks, the night was the latest chapter in an extraordinary 2025-26 campaign. Markus finished the regular season atop the WHL scoring chart with 108 points, including a league-leading 87 assists.That point-total made for the highest point total not just in the league, but in Canadian major junior hockey, outpacing all other players in both the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec-Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Liam wasn’t far behind at 104 points..What sets the Rucks apart is more than just numbers. Identical twins with an almost eerie on-ice connection, they have drawn inevitable comparisons to Daniel and Henrik Sedin, the Swedish twins who transformed the Vancouver Canucks franchise after being selected second and third overall in the 1999 NHL draft.Like the Sedins, the Rucks feature a clear division of labour — Markus as the setup man, Liam as the finisher — yet they play with a shared intuition that defenders struggle to disrupt..The British Columbia connection only adds to the parallel. The Rucks grew up in the Okanagan as Canucks fans, honing their skills at the Okanagan Hockey Academy before being selected by the Tigers in the first round of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft. NHL scouts have taken notice. Both are projected as potential first-round picks in the 2026 draft, with some rankings placing Liam inside the top ten North American skaters and Markus close behind.Of course, any team drafting one will almost certainly consider the value of acquiring both.That scenario has sparked particular interest in Calgary. The Flames, armed with a guaranteed top ten pick, a late first-round selection and multiple second-round choices, are well-positioned to make a run at the pair.Drafting both Rucks in the first round would mark only the second time in NHL history that identical twins have been selected in the opening round, following the Sedins.Whether they land together in Calgary — creating a rare twin tandem for the Flames — or find separate paths before reuniting later, their journey from the Okanagan to the WHL’s biggest stages has already captured the imagination of hockey fans across Western Canada. On Wednesday night, they added another memorable chapter to an already intriguing sports story.

The second coming of the Sedin twins? Okanagan twins hunt first-round double

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