The Vancouver Canucks are in a tough spot right now - one of the worst stretches the franchise has seen in quite some time. But if you’re a Canucks fan looking for a silver lining, history might just be offering a familiar glimmer of hope.
The last time Vancouver found itself this deep in the standings, the payoff was franchise-altering: the Sedin twins. Henrik and Daniel didn’t just change the Canucks - they defined an era. And now, incredibly, there’s another set of twins making waves, and this time, they’re homegrown.
Meet Marcus and Liam Ruck - B.C.-born, WHL-bred, and absolutely lighting it up for the Medicine Hat Tigers. Under the guidance of former Canucks bench boss Willie Desjardins, the Ruck twins aren’t just thriving - they’re dominating. The duo leads the Tigers in scoring and currently sit fourth and fifth in points across the entire WHL.
And they’re not just putting up empty-calorie stats. The Rucks were the heartbeat of a 19-game winning streak that ran from November 22 to January 17 - a stretch that saw Liam rack up 42 points and Marcus right behind with 41. That’s nearly a point-for-point pace between the brothers over a month and a half of near-perfect hockey.
“We do everything together, on and off the ice,” Liam said in an interview from last year. “We’re competitive off the ice, always trying to beat each other, and on the ice, we push each other, want to make each other better, and make our jobs easier out there.”
That chemistry shows. Whether it’s a shorthanded goal or a slick give-and-go in transition, the twins play like they’ve got a sixth sense for where the other is going to be - because, well, they kind of do.
The Tigers clearly saw the value in keeping them together. After selecting Liam ninth overall in the 2023 WHL Draft, they made a move to trade up and grab Marcus at 21st. It’s paid off in a big way.
“It’s been really special to have us together,” Marcus said in a 2024 interview. “It’s always a little bit easier to have my twin with me throughout my whole life.”
The pair are mirror identical twins - a fun twist that explains why Liam shoots right and Marcus shoots left. And while Marcus has traditionally played center, he’s lined up at left wing this season, letting his pass-first instincts shine.
Through 47 games, he’s got 12 goals and 65 points. Liam, the more shoot-happy of the two, has 28 goals and 66 points in the same span.
It’s the kind of one-two punch any NHL team would be lucky to land - and the Canucks just might be in position to do it.
According to Elite Prospects’ Consolidated Rankings, Liam is currently pegged as the 58th-best prospect in the upcoming NHL Draft, with Marcus just behind at 65th. But that’s already shifting.
In their January update of the top 75 prospects, Liam has surged to 27th, while Marcus has climbed to 56th. That’s the kind of upward momentum that gets front offices paying attention.
And here’s where it gets interesting: for the first time in franchise history, the Canucks hold two first-round picks and two second-round picks. If the season ended today, Vancouver would be locked into a top-three selection.
They also own Minnesota’s first-rounder, which currently sits at 30th overall. Add in the 32nd pick to start the second round and another second-rounder at 43rd (via San Jose), and the Canucks are suddenly flush with draft capital.
That kind of draft positioning opens doors. It gives Vancouver a real shot - not just at one Ruck twin, but possibly both. And if you’re a fan of symmetry, storytelling, or just good hockey, the idea of another set of twins leading the Canucks into a new era is hard to ignore.
No, the Rucks aren’t the Sedins. But they don’t have to be.
They’re carving out their own path, and right now, that path is leading straight toward the NHL. The Canucks just might be the team waiting at the end.