Sidney Crosby Called Penguins Draft Twins Personally. Here’s What He Said.

The Pittsburgh Penguins surprised a lot of people this season. After missing the playoffs three years in a row, they actually put together a consistent regular season and snuck into the postseason. Of course, they got bounced in the first round by the Flyers. But still. For a team built around Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, both now well into their late 30s, just getting there felt like a win.

But here’s the thing nobody wants to say out loud: the Penguins are old. And if they want to stay relevant, they need young talent coming through the door. Not just depth pieces. Real talent.

That’s why what happened at the 2026 NHL Draft mattered so much.

The Penguins used their first and second round picks on twins. Liam and Markus Ruck. Yes, twins. The last time that really worked out for a team was when Vancouver took Daniel and Henrik Sedin back in 1999. Those two ended up in the Hall of Fame. Nobody is putting the Ruck twins in that conversation just yet. But the potential is there for both to be impact players.

The Call from Number 87

So how do you welcome a pair of brothers to the NHL? If you’re the Penguins, you have Sidney Crosby make the phone call. Crosby, one of the greatest players to ever lace up skates, personally reached out to Liam and Markus after the draft. He told them how excited the team was to have them. He confirmed they’d be at development camp this summer. And he said he’d see them at training camp in September.

That’s not just a courtesy call. That’s a message. Crosby isn’t the kind of guy who phones in stuff like this. If he’s making the call, he means it. And for two young players coming into the league, hearing from a living legend has to set the tone.

The Penguins posted a video of the moment on social media. Just Crosby and the twins. Simple. Effective.

What the Ruck Twins Bring

Liam and Markus Ruck aren’t the Sedins. But they don’t need to be. Both are skilled forwards with good size. Liam is a bit more of a playmaker. Markus likes to shoot. They complement each other. And the Penguins hope they can grow into core pieces over the next few years.

It’s a smart bet. The team needs an infusion of youth badly. Crosby and Malkin can still play. But they can’t carry the load forever. If even one of these twins becomes a top-six forward, the draft was a win. If both do? That changes the timeline for the franchise.

Training camp in September will be the first real look at what these kids can do. But for now, the message from Pittsburgh is clear: we’re not done yet. And we brought in the help.