Arizona Coyotes place Adam Ruzicka on unconditional waivers
The Arizona Coyotes have placed forward Adam Ruzicka on unconditional waivers.
Once Ruzicka clears through waivers on Saturday, the team can terminate his contract and make him an unrestricted free agent.
#Yotes have placed Adam Ruzicka on waivers for purposes of contract termination hours after a video surfaced on social media from what appears to be Ruzicka around drugs.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 23, 2024The Coyotes posted that they will have no further comment on the situation.
The 24-year-old winger was recently claimed off waivers by the Calgary Flames on Jan. 25. Ruzicka had failed to register a point in three games with the Coyotes after scoring three goals and nine points with Calgary earlier in the year.
The 2023-24 season marks Ruzicka’s second full NHL campaign after bouncing around Calgary and the AHL’s Stockton Heat for two years. Ruzicka also represented Slovakia during the 2022 Olympic Qualification tournament, scoring two goals in three games to help his nation advance.
Drafted 109th overall in 2017, Ruzicka, 24, spent three years in the OHL before turning pro in 2019. Ruzicka had a career-best 27 points in his AHL rookie season in 2019-20 but consistently found himself as a valuable minor league contributor. Ruzicka was a decent depth forward for the Flames last year, scoring six goals and 20 points in 44 games.
Standing tall at 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds, Ruzicka is a modern-day power forward. A good playmaker, Ruzicka isn’t afraid to use his body to win battles. In 117 NHL games over four seasons, Ruzicka has 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points. He also has 32 penalty minutes.