The Pittsburgh Penguins selected five players on the second day of the 2026 NHL Draft at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Among the selections was forward Markus Ruck, who joins his twin brother Liam Ruck, drafted by the Penguins with their first pick.
Markus Ruck was chosen in the second round, 39th overall, while Liam Ruck was the 22nd overall pick. This marks the first time since the 2008 NHL Draft that brothers have been drafted by the same team, when Justin Daniels and Drew Daniels were both selected by the San Jose Sharks.
The Ruck brothers, from Osoyoos, British Columbia, have expressed their desire to play on the same team. Penguins General Manager Kyle Dubas noted that the brothers had spent only four nights apart in their lives, suggesting a potential fit if draft circumstances allowed.
Markus Ruck’s Performance and Future
Markus Ruck, an 18-year-old forward, played for the Medicine Hat Tigers last season. He recorded 87 assists and 108 points in 68 games, leading the WHL in assists. He also contributed 13 points in 15 WHL playoff games and was named to the WHL (East) First All-Star Team. Over three junior seasons, Ruck has accumulated 29 goals, 108 assists, and 137 points in 132 career games. He also has 17 points in 29 career WHL playoff games.
Ruck was part of the 2025 WHL Champion team. He represented Team Canada at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he registered four assists in five games, helping the team secure a bronze medal. He is expected to return to Medicine Hat for the 2026-27 season and has committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season.
Additional Draft Selections
The Penguins made several other selections on day two of the draft. They picked defenseman Tomas Galvas in the second round, 54th overall. Galvas, a 20-year-old from Zlin, Czechia, played for Bílí Tygři Liberec in Czechia, recording eight goals, 16 assists, and 24 points in 32 games this season. He added one assist in seven playoff games. Galvas led his team’s defensemen in goals, assists, and points, and ranked fifth overall on his team in points. He has played in 113 career games across four seasons in Czechia, tallying 42 points.
Galvas represented Team Czechia at the 2026 World Junior Championship, where he had nine points in seven games, earning a silver medal and a spot on the World Junior Championship All-Star Team. He also contributed one assist in eight games with Team Czechia at the 2026 World Championship and won bronze medals at the 2023 and 2024 World Junior Championship.
Forward Pierce Mbuyi, an 18-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario, was selected in the third round, 86th overall. Mbuyi served as an alternate captain for the Owen Sound team in the OHL this season, recording 32 goals, 43 assists, and 75 points in 68 games. In his first two junior seasons, he accumulated 127 points in 131 career games, all with Owen Sound. He was named the 2025 OHL Rookie of the Year and was part of the OHL First All-Rookie Team and CHL All-Rookie Team after leading first-year OHL players in goals and points in 2024-25. Mbuyi also won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he played in four games and had one assist. He is committed to Penn State University for the 2026-27 season.
The Penguins also drafted defenseman Parker Von Richter in the fourth round, 111th overall. This pick was acquired from the Boston Bruins in exchange for the 170th overall pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick originally belonging to Winnipeg. Von Richter, a 20-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario, split his OHL season between the Brampton Steelheads and Barrie Colts. He recorded 12 goals, 37 assists, and 49 points in 66 games last season, along with 14 points in 21 playoff games with Barrie. He has played in parts of four seasons in the OHL, tallying 119 points in 259 career games. He is committed to the University of New Hampshire for the 2026-27 season.
Goaltender Matvei Nikonovich was selected in the fifth round, 160th overall. This pick was acquired from the Nashville Predators in exchange for the Penguins’ fifth-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. Nikonovich, a 17-year-old, spent the season with Ladia Togliatti in the MHL in Russia. He had a record of 20-14-4 in 38 games last season, with a 1.96 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage, and two shutouts. His save percentage ranked third in the MHL. Over two seasons in the MHL, Nikonovich has a 22-16-4 record in 45 career games, with a .935 save percentage, a 2.06 goals-against average, and three shutouts.
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Source: nhl.com
