As those in the South Okanagan enjoyed their long weekend, a feel-good, local story emerged on the ice thousands of kilometres away.

Three best friends from the region 鈥� twins Liam and Markus Ruck and Mathis Preston 鈥� returned home this week as Canadian gold medalists after capturing hardware for their nation at the U17 World Challenge in Sarnia, Ont. on Nov. 9.

The tournament featured six teams: two from Canada (Red and White), as well as the United States, Sweden, Finland and Czechia.

Preston, a born-and-raised Pentictonite who was selected third overall by the WHL's Spokane Chiefs in 2023, scored the gold-medal-winning goal for Team Canada White.

The Ruck twins hail from Osoyoos and currently play for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

All three forwards suited up together at the Okanagan Hockey Academy (OHA) from 2020 to 2023, and have been best friends since they met at the age of five.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a surreal feeling getting it done with them,鈥� said Preston, who led all tournament skaters with six goals.

The Ruck twins and Preston led Canada White to a 6-2 victory over Czechia on Nov. 3, before beating Finland in the quarterfinals, Sweden in the semifinals, and Team Canada Red 3-1 in the gold medal game.

鈥淚鈥檒l never forget this," Preston said about winning gold with his closest teammates. "They鈥檙e my best friends, so I鈥檓 super happy for them. They played unreal."

Matt Fraser, a Penticton-based coach who's worked with all three players over the last several years, says he's thrilled to see the local stars represent their respective hometowns on the world stage.

"To see them win like they did for Canada is pretty awesome," Fraser said. "They've been playing together for years, and it's just really cool to see what's going on right now."

Born eight minutes apart in 2008, the Ruck twins have trained with Fraser multiple times in the South Okanagan.

Liam and Markus were drafted ninth and 21st overall, respectively, by Medicine Hat in 2023.

"They get compared to the Sedins all the time, but they have this sense for finding each other on the ice," Fraser said. "It's almost like they see the game in slow motion, they really have this unique chemistry with each other."

Preston, meanwhile, has worked with Fraser since he was 11 years old.

"I just knew he was going to have a big game in the finals," Fraser said. "They talked about him more than anyone on the broadcast. I knew this was the kind of player he is, with his competitive spirit, with how talented he is and how hard he works on top of that talent."

The 16-year-old skaters are no stranger to representing Canada together on the ice.

In January 2024, the three forwards wore the red and white maple leaf at the Youth Winter Olympics in South Korea. They left the tournament empty-handed but arrived in Ontario earlier this month with redemption on their minds.

鈥淵ou can tell he鈥檚 built for big games,鈥� Mathieu Turcotte, head coach for Team Canada White, said about Preston. 鈥淗e had that killer instinct in his eye. When the stakes were high, he got it done.鈥�

In a statement released Tuesday, OHA officials congratulated the three forwards for their achievements.

"Their dedication, talent, and friendship are an inspiration to our community, and we look forward to watching their continued success."