These Osoyoos twins were both drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Their parents say it's all about passion

The Ruck twins can't stave off their massive grins as they hang up the phone.

"That's the most stressful thing I've done," says one of the Ruck twins. "That's crazy," says his brother.

The two newly drafted Pittsburgh Penguins Markus and Liam Ruck from Osoyoos, B.C., had just spoken with hockey legend and team captain Sidney Crosby, as seen in a video posted by the team on X.

At the draft last week in Buffalo, N.Y., the Penguins selected Liam in the first round with the 22nd pick, then Markus in the second round at 39th.

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Their parents, Derek and Nina Ruck, spoke with CBC's Radio West host Sarah Penton about raising the twins and how the draft went.

The Rucks said their sons, who both play for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL, have almost always played on the same team, only playing apart at camps.

Nina Ruck said the two grew up playing hockey all the time, whether it was mini-sticks or shooting pucks.

"Our garage is no longer a garage; it's a shooting area," Nina Ruck said.

"They definitely support one another," she added. "When one's down, the other one picks the other one up."

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

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When did you first realize that hockey was more than just for fun with Markus and Liam?

Derek: It's always been a passion for them. We don't really care about the stats and the points and how well they're doing, as long as they're having a passion for it, and they love the game.

Yes, there's been times where we're proud of their accomplishments, but we've always just told them [to] just have fun with it and we'll keep supporting you. 

What were they like