"They're blue collar," Jackson said.
North Dakota general manager Bryn Chyzyk echoed those sentiments, highlighting the twins' rare processing skills.
"Their hockey IQ is on a different level, even when evaluating top players in North America — just the little plays they make, the support plays.
It's NHL-level coming out of junior hockey," Chyzyk said.
Chyzyk noted the pair carry an infectious enthusiasm reminiscent of past legendary figures in the university's hockey history.
"Jax talks about different personalities of UND greats — how Jonny Toews was, how T. J.
Oshie was, how Matt Greene was," Chyzyk said.
Twins to Return to WHL for One More Season
Markus Ruck reflected on their offensive outbreak, noting that overcoming early-season pressure helped unlock their potential in the second half of the year.
"It was a really fun year," Markus said.
The brothers felt an immediate connection to the local community and university staff during their official campus visits.
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"We're super pumped for the opportunity. We've seen plenty of great clips of the crowd at North Dakota.
For us to hopefully get the chance to play in front of them, it's going to be really cool.
We're excited," Markus said.
Conversations with fellow WHL stars who previously committed to the program helped solidify their decision.
"We talked to Verhoeff quite a bit," Markus said.
The quality of hospitality and professionalism of the training staff left a lasting impression before they finalized their choice.
