BUFFALO – Markus Ruck was ecstatic for his sibling. There was also a significant level of anxiety.

Liam Ruck — teammate, linemate and twin brother — was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 22nd pick during Friday night’s first round of the NHL draft.

Markus, who is eight minutes older, was still waiting for his name to be called when the family returned to their hotel.

Would another team take him early Saturday when proceedings resumed on the arena floor at KeyBank Center? Would the Penguins grab him at No. 39? Or even trade up the board to ensure the band stayed together?

“I was pretty stressed,” Markus said. “(Liam) told me everything’s gonna be OK and will work itself out.”

The twins, in the end, got their wish. And can finally exhale.

Pittsburgh selected Markus Ruck seven picks into the second round — reuniting the brothers and fulfilling a dream the Osoyoos, B.C., products have shared since first lacing up their skates.

“I was just praying and hoping,” he said. “To have that happen, there’s not many words to describe it. It’s so special.”

The 18-year-old forwards, who have never spent more than four days apart since birth, are coming off banner seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers that saw them finish 1-2 in scoring across the entire Canadian Hockey League.

Markus, a playmaking centre, put up 108 points (21 goals, 87 assists), while Liam registered 104 points (45 goals, 59 assists) as a shooter on the wing.

“We knew it was gonna be very tough for a team to do this,” Markus said of staying together with an NHL organization. “We just can’t thank Pittsburgh enough … we knew it was a pretty low chance to be honest. We couldn’t be more excited.”

The Rucks are slated to play one more Western Hockey League campaign in Alberta before heading to the University of North Dakota in 2027-28.

Liam said after getting picked Friday his fingers were crossed Pittsburgh’s management team led by president and general manager Kyle Dubas would also tab his brother.

“It’s a special bond we’ve got,” he said in the moments after going No. 22. “I’m just going to be just as happy to see him get drafted, because we’ve been through everything together. It was a special hug.”

The brothers both stand six feet tall, while Liam is 10 pounds heavier at 177. Liam was pegged as the 20th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. Markus slotted in at No. 23.

“I didn’t really care when (Pittsburgh) picked me,” Markus said Saturday, the relief on his face apparent. “I knew where I wanted to go and who I wanted to be with.”

The Vancouver Canucks opened the second round by taking Brooks Rogowski at No. 33.

The six-foot-seven centre from Brighton, Mich., was focused on baseball — his father, Casey, and uncle, Ryan, were both drafted by major league teams — before zeroing in hockey.

“This was the right decision,” he said. “I think that they’re more than happy with that.”

The Calgary Flames chose winger Chase Harrington at No. 36 before Vancouver took winger Niklas Aaram-Olsen at No. 41. Calgary made Tobias Trejbal the first goaltender off the board one pick later.

The Ottawa Senators chose winger Alan Shaikhlislamov at No. 55, the Montreal Canadiens selected Timofei Runtso at No. 57, the Edmonton Oilers got centre Rudolfs Berzkalns at No. 58, and the Toronto Maple Leafs grabbed defenceman Alexander Bilecki at No. 60.

After selecting Gavin McKenna at No. 1 on Friday, Toronto also dealt blueliner Brandon Carlo, who was acquired from the Boston Bruins ahead of the March 2025 trade deadline for centre Fraser Minten and a first-round pick, to the St. Louis Blues for a pair of 2026 third-rounders.

The Vegas Golden Knights would have picked 63rd, but were docked their second-round pick as part of the punishment for “flagrant violations” of the league’s media regulations during the second round of the playoffs.

The Flames took winger Joe Iginla — son of former captain and franchise legend Jarome Iginla — with the 65th pick to kick off the third round before adding centre Egor Barabanov (No. 100), forward Simon Katolicky (No. 132) and defenceman Bode Laylin (No. 164) to complete their draft.

Toronto used four selections in the third round — including the pair acquired for Carlo — adding defenceman Ethan MacKenzie (No. 69), winger Zach Olsen (No. 73), blueliner Mans Gudmundsson (No. 76) and netminder Juuso Ainasto (No. 85).

The Maple Leafs then added goaltender Patriks Plumins (No. 114), centre Cooper Williams (No. 158), defenceman Yaroslav Fedoseyev (No. 161) and winger Brody Pepoy (No. 169).

The Jets picked goaltender Samuel Hrenak (No. 71), winger Zach Wooten (No. 116), defenceman Alexandre Taillefer (No. 135), centre Landon Hafele (No. 167), defenceman Alofa Tunoa Ta’Amu (No. 199) and netminder John Parsons (No. 220).

The Senators chose winger Adam Nemec (No. 72), centre Oscar Holmertz (No. 87), forward Louis-Felix Bourque (No. 91), goaltender Elliot Lennon (No. 110) along with defencemen Harris Pangretitsch (No. 151) and Alexander Grunin (No. 183).

The Oilers selected winger Malcolm Gastrin (No. 84), defenceman Andrew Robinson (No. 133), centre Caden Harvey (No. 180) and goaltender Ryan Cameron (No. 212).

The Canucks picked wingers Yaroslav Bryzgalov (No. 97), Connor Davis (No. 129), Lucian Bernat (No. 176) and blueliner Samuel Eriksson (No. 184).

The Canadiens took defencemen Cooper Cleaves (No. 93) and Brayden Klimpke (No. 117), wingers Parker Trottier (No. 189) and Wesley Royston (No. 190), blueliner Jean-Samuel Daigneault (No. 221) and forward Tyler Deakos (No. 224) win the draft’s final selection.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

British Columbia Premier David Eby says his first-ever trade trip to China will focus on pitching the province’s forestry products and energy sector around LNG development, approaching the mission with both excitement and caution.

Eby says China is the province’s second largest trading partner, and expanding relationships beyond the United States with the goal of doubling international trade over the coming decade.

He says U.S. tariffs are “really hurting” the province’s forestry sector, while a lot of jobs in B.C. are also dependent on the relationship with China and he hopes to see Chinese tariffs currently impacting the province lifted, including on seafood sector.

Eby says he’s received briefings from both the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in advance of the trip to ensure “our team is fully aware of how to minimize risk and to maximize opportunities while visiting.

He says the government didn’t release his full itinerary for the trip to China to avoid giving competitors in other provinces and countries a potential “unfair advantage,” as the mission seeks to drum up customers and deals for B.C. companies.

Eby says the “really big fish” he’s seeking to land on the trip will see him meeting with PetroChina to discuss the second phase of the massive LNG facility expansion in Kitimat, B.C., with an impending final investment decision on the project expected later this year.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Development of Canada’s first offshore wind farms took a significant step forward late Friday when Nova Scotia’s offshore energy regulator released the names of companies qualified to bid on seabed licences.

The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator identified five companies and two groups of companies that won approval after taking part in a review process between October 2025 and January of this year.

The eligible companies were required to meet certain financial, technical, legal and social criteria to prove they are capable of completing offshore wind projects.

The regulator, however, said the companies that met eligibility requirements had the option of keeping their status confidential, which means the names of some participants may remain a secret at this stage.

Meanwhile, the federal-provincial agency confirmed a formal call for bids will be issued some time later this year. And those bids will be subject to ministerial reviews at the federal and provincial levels.

So far, the approved companies are based in Canada, Belgium, China, Ireland, Luxembourg, Singapore, Switzerland, South Korea and France.

In January, a spokesman for one of the companies, Q Energy France, said its estimated timeline for commissioning offshore turbines would be sometime in 2035.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston issued a statement Friday saying the province had taken another step toward becoming an energy leader on the world stage.

“By attracting companies with the experience and know-how to deliver large energy projects, we are setting the stage for a successful offshore wind industry here at home,” Houston said.

“This kind of growth will move us from a have not to a have province and create many new opportunities for our young people, small businesses and communities.”

In June 2025, Houston said the province’s plan to license enough offshore wind farms to produce five gigawatts of electricity would be increased eightfold to 40 gigawatts, well beyond the 2.4 gigawatts Nova Scotia needs.

He called on Ottawa to help cover the costs of the Wind West project, saying the excess electricity could be used to supply 27 per cent of Canada’s total demand. Quebec and Massachusetts have already shown interest in buying electricity from this proposed clean energy megaproject.

The provincial government says the first phase of Wind West is estimated to cost about $60 billion and would produce about five gigawatts of power as early as 2033. About $40 billion would be for turbine infrastructure, with another $20 billion for new transmission lines.

The plan to produce up to 40 gigawatts of electricity says commissioning could happen by 2050.

The ocean areas under consideration for the first phase include Sydney Bight, northeast of Cape Breton in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Three more parcels can be found off the eastern shore of mainland Nova Scotia.

The following qualified companies and business alliances consented to to having their names released:

— DEME Concessions Wind N.V., based in Belgium.

— Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd., based in China.

— Northland Power Inc., based in Toronto.

— Simply Blue Energy (OSW) Ltd., based in Ireland.

— Jan De Nul N.V., based in Luxembourg.

— A group that includes Halifax-based DP Energy Canada Ltd., Enterprize Energy Atlantic Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, Nova East Wind Inc. in Halifax, and SBM Renewables Holding SA, based in Switzerland.

— A group that includes Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd., based in South Korea, and Q ENERGY France SAS.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2026.

This is a corrected story. A previous version incorrectly stated that six companies and two groups of companies had been approved to submit bids. In fact, the five companies and two groups have won approval.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A 21-year-old motorcyclist is dead and a Brampton man has been charged after a collision early Saturday morning, Peel Regional Police said.

Emergency crews were called to the area of Bovaird Drive and Yellow Brick Road at about 3:47 a.m. on Saturday for reports of a collision involving a motorcycle and a vehicle.

Police say the motorcycle and a white SUV collided at the intersection.Officers performed life-saving measures on the motorcyclist, but the 21-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 48-year-old man later returned to the scene while officers were investigating, said Peel Regional Police media relations officer Lori McCann.

He was arrested and charged with impaired driving. Investigators say additional charges could be laid as the investigation continues.

Bovaird Drive was closed in both directions between Main Street and Yellow Brick Road for several hours while police investigated.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Peel Regional Police.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder after a 16-year-old boy was found dead in a Winnipeg parking lot, police say.

Officers responded to a wellbeing check at a parking lot in the 1700 block of Wellington Avenue shortly after 8 a.m. on June 25, according to a news release.

When officers arrived, they found a teenaged boy dead with significant injuries.

The victim has been identified as 16-year-old Bruno Delmar Young, a member of Bloodvein River First Nation who had been living in Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Police Service’s homicide unit took over the investigation.

Police say investigators later arrested two youths at a business in the 600 block of King Edward Street.

A 17-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl have both been charged with second-degree murder.

Both were detained in custody. The charged teens cannot be named due to provisions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Police have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the homicide or the relationship between the accused and the victim.

The investigation remains ongoing.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

MONTREAL – Ryan Dinwiddie said a dark cloud hung over the Ottawa Redblacks after Dru Brown lost the starting job to Jake Maier and asked to be traded.

Now the Redblacks hope they can turn the page.

Ottawa sent Brown to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this week, finally granting the request he made when Dinwiddie named Maier as QB1 out of training camp.

“Dru wasn’t happy and I think everybody knew he wasn’t happy,” said Dinwiddie, Ottawa’s coach and general manager. “The coach-player communication and relationship obviously was never going to be there after the request, right?

“Everybody around the building was kind of walking on eggshells, and so that’s not there anymore.”

The Redblacks (0-2) sit last in the CFL in average points for and against heading into Sunday’s visit with the Montreal Alouettes (2-1). They’re still in search of their first win under Dinwiddie, who left the Toronto Argonauts last off-season after five years as head coach.

Dinwiddie had hoped to run with two capable quarterbacks in Maier and Brown until it became clear the latter would not accept a secondary role. He then turned to a veteran he trusts, signing McLeod Bethel-Thompson hours after completing Brown’s trade to the Bombers.

“We had to move forward and find an answer and have a plan,” Dinwiddie said in a phone interview. “McLeod obviously played good football for me, we won games. So that was our answer.”

Bethel-Thompson and Dinwiddie won a Grey Cup together with the Argos in 2022. Dinwiddie said the 37-year-old will join the Redblacks next week and fill a support role behind Maier, who has yet to find his footing in the nation’s capital.

Maier, once a starter for the Calgary Stampeders, signed with the Redblacks last winter after backing up Trevor Harris on the Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Through two starts in Ottawa, Maier has completed just 61 per cent of his throws for an average of 6.3 yards per attempt — both CFL lows — with two touchdown passes and two interceptions as the Redblacks dropped home games to the Argos and Edmonton Elks.

“That’s obviously super frustrating. I hate losing. I wouldn’t get to this point in my playing career if I accepted losing or felt OK with it,” Maier said over the phone. “I’m doing everything I can to make sure that I can crack the code on some of our shortcomings.”

Maier said Brown’s departure doesn’t change his approach, nor does he expect to be looking over his shoulder once Bethel-Thompson enters the quarterback room.

“If you ask any of the nine quarterbacks in the league, they would tell you the same thing,” he said. “You’re week to week, month to month, year to year … there’s no shoulder watching here, man. It’s totally out of my control. I’m just trying to play as well as I can.”

Dinwiddie said there are plays Maier should want back but pinned the blame on Ottawa’s offence as a whole. Running back Greg Bell, for example, rushed for only 29 yards against the Argos.

“It’s tough to play quarterback and play at a high level when your teammates aren’t doing their part as well. We gotta run the football to help him out, we gotta stay out of second and long,” he said. “We just gotta be more efficient, more consistent.”

That’s why Dinwiddie simplified his playbook to roughly 50 plays this week — down from his usual 90 — as the Redblacks look to avoid another losing season.

“You can be a jack of all trades, master of none,” Dinwiddie said. “We had all this stuff in, but we’re not very good at any of it right now. So let’s find out what we’re good at.

“As the season goes, as we start playing better, then start adding.”

Even without star receiver Eugene Lewis, on the one-game injured list with a shoulder ailment, the Redblacks will have a chance to break out offensively at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium on Sunday.

The Alouettes’ defence, long considered a strength, has surrendered 89 points through three games. Montreal held a shutout until 29 seconds remained in the first half last week against Edmonton, but ultimately fell 32-29 in overtime, with Elks running back Justin Rankin repeatedly making defenders miss tackles in a leaky second half.

“We beat ourselves,” defensive back Najee Murray said. “There was even that play with myself. I make that tackle nine times out of ten, don’t miss that tackle. Rankin’s a great player, he’s having a great year. Made me miss. He made us pay.

“We make that play, game’s a totally different game.”

The Alouettes will welcome back star linebacker Tyrice Beverette after he missed last week’s contest, but will be without starting cornerbacks Lorenzo Burns (head) and Kabion Ento (hamstring). Don Callis and rookie Faion Hicks will fill in.

“I’m not worried about it,” coach Jason Maas said of the defence. “We have standards on our defence we want to play to every single game … Every time they touch the ball, you want them to pay for it. They cross that goal line, you want them to pay for it, and that’s what we want to live up to.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A 39-year-old man is dead after a shooting in Dartmouth late Friday night, according to Halifax Regional Police.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting on Lahey Road at about 10:30 p.m., police said in a news release.

Arriving at the scene, officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The death is being investigated as a homicide by the Major Crime Unit of the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division.

Police have not yet identified the victim and say the shooting is not believed to be random.

Anyone with information potentially relevant to the investigation is asked to contact authorities.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A Canadian teacher from Toronto, living in Venezuela says residents are digging through rubble by hand and sleeping in parks as search efforts continue days after a pair of powerful earthquakes devastated parts of the country.

The death toll from Wednesday’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes has climbed to at least 1,420, while more than 51,000 people remain unaccounted for, according to Venezuelan authorities.

Heather McKay, a Canadian who teaches at the British School Caracas, was leaving her apartment to meet a friend for dinner when the first quake struck.

“It was like the ocean, almost just kind of doing this back and forth (motion),” McKay told Global News.

McKay said she rushed away from nearby buildings once she realized what was going on.

“I saw a building and the fire escape… people were just running down,” she said. “There were just holes in so many apartment buildings. It was absolutely intense.”

Her own apartment building was damaged in the earthquake, forcing her to seek shelter with a colleague.

“My building has huge holes in the bottom. An entire wall is missing near the staircase,” she said.

McKay added that many residents are still afraid to return to their homes amid concerns about structural damage and aftershocks.

Authorities announced Friday they would restrict access to La Guaira, the epicentre of the destruction, as rescue crews continue searching for survivors.

More than 14,000 military and police personnel have been deployed to the area.

But McKay said many rescue efforts are being carried out by ordinary citizens.

“People are asking, ‘Do you have hammers? Do you have gloves? Do you have helmets?'” she said. “A lot of the rescue efforts have just been regular citizens wearing motorcycle helmets and digging with their hands.”

McKay said many people escaped with little more than the clothes they were wearing.

“People were on the street in their pyjamas, trying to wrangle their pets, just having no idea,” she said. “So many people will have lost everything…literally everything except the clothes on their backs.”

She warned that forecasted rain could worsen conditions for displaced residents sheltering outdoors.

“There are people camping in plazas and parks. They have nowhere to go,” she said.

Aid organizations generally consider the first 48 to 72 hours after a disaster critical for finding survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings, according to Red Cross VP of international cooperation, Kelsey Lemon.

“We expect a long road to recovery,” Lemon said.

Despite the destruction, McKay said residents have rallied together to help one another.

“Venezuelans are some of the most hardworking and kind people you will ever meet,” she said. “Everyone is trying their best, but we need help.”

McKay said she registered her presence in Venezuela with Global Affairs Canada and received updates following security incidents earlier this year but has “had zero communication from them,” since the earthquakes.

She urged people not to forget about the country as international attention inevitably shifts elsewhere.

Venezuelan authorities said Friday that 861 volunteers from Mexico, the U.S., El Salvador, Switzerland, Colombia and beyond were in the country, and more were coming from elsewhere.

“Right now it’s in the news, but in a week, in a month, it’s not going to be fixed,” McKay said. “Please don’t forget about Venezuela.”

–with files from the Associated Press

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

BUFFALO – The Toronto Maple Leafs dealt defenceman Brandon Carlo to the St. Louis Blues for a pair of third-round picks at the 2026 NHL draft on Saturday.

The blueliner was originally acquired from the Boston Bruins ahead of last season’s trade deadline for a package that included centre Fraser Minten and a first-round selection.

Carlo, who will cost US$4.1 million against the salary cap in 2026-27 and could become an unrestricted free agent next summer, combined to put up 10 assists in 75 regular-season games with Toronto. The 29-year-old didn’t have a point in 10 playoff contests.

The Maple Leafs acquired the 73rd and 76th picks as part of the swap. Toronto selected winger Zach Olsen and defenceman Mans Gudmundsson.

The Original Six franchise, which is coming off a disastrous 28th-place finish, made its big splash Friday night when it took star winger Gavin McKenna at No. 1.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A man was killed in a police shooting Thursday as RCMP in Cold Lake, Alta, responded to a domestic call involving a firearm.

According to release from the RCMP, officers arrived at the home around 4:48 p.m. and a found an armed man inside as well as two other people who were able to flee safely.

Attempts to communicate with the man were unsuccessful and the RCMP Emergency Response Team was called in.

“An altercation occurred with police in which at least one officer discharged their service weapon, striking the suspect,” police said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has been called in to investigate the shooting. RCMP said no officers were injured.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.