Coyotes terminate forward Adam Ruzicka’s contract following surfaced video of apparent drugs and identifying NHL franchise’s ‘Mount Rushmore’ of players

Ruzicka is now the second NHL player this season to have his contract terminated following Corey Perry with the Chicago Blackhawks after the organization disclosed he violated team workplace policy. The NHL Players’ Association granted Perry an extension of the window to file a grievance and he later joined the Edmonton Oilers.

However, Ruzicka is also the second player from the Arizona organization to have his contract terminated due to off-ice conduct in the last calendar year, following Alex Galchenyuk in July 2023.

There is no word as of the time of writing if Ruzicka will face subsidiary discipline from the league concerning the video. However, players in similar instances have been suspended in the past. Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov was suspended for three games in 2019 after a video surfaced of the forward with white lines in front of him.

Similarly, in 1990, Oilers goaltender Grant Fuhr was suspended for an entire year due to prior drug usage but it ultimately aided the league in implementing policies around illegal drugs in the future.

The Calgary Flames initially selected Ruzicka in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, which saw him appear in 114 games with the team, recording 14 goals and 40 points over four seasons. In January, the Flames placed Ruzicka on waivers, and the Coyotes selected him.

In 39 games with the Flames this season, Ruzicka recorded three goals and nine points but has remained off the score sheet throughout three games since joining the Coyotes.

Identifying the NHL franchise with the most iconic ‘Mount Rushmore’ of players

Following the iconic jersey retirement of former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jaromir Jagr, a viral tweet hailed him, Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin as the best hockey ‘Mount Rushmore’ ever. However, the tweet prompts the question: Which franchise has the most iconic hockey, Mount Rushmore, of celebrated players?

Daily Faceoff contributors weighed in, with Matt Larkin, Steven Ellis, Frank Seravalli, Mike Gould, and Scott Maxwell taking on the challenge, presenting compelling cases on which franchise and what players may hold the compelling unofficial title.

Maxwell argued in favour of the Penguins for its star-studded roster.

“It’s the obvious answer for a reason,” Maxwell said, pinning Lemieux as the only other forward who could even rival Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky as the best of all time.

Maxwell argued that although Malkin is not considered a top-100 player of all time, he performed just as well as Crosby in his prime. Granted, the Penguins players, past and present, combine for 2,197 goals and 5,632 points, and additionally five Stanley Cup Championships.

Gould argued for Colorado Avalanche’s Joe Sakic, Nathan Mackinnon, Patrick Roy, and Cale Makar.

Sakic, the all-time leader for the Avalanche with 1,378 goals and 1,016 points, led the franchise to their first two Stanley Cup Championships in 1996 and 2001. MacKinnon has been a standout player, while Roy and Makar have contributed significantly to the Avalanche’s success.

“I think when all is said and done, Makar could go into the history books as the most decorated player of his era — yes, including Connor McDavid — and MacKinnon is certainly no slouch himself,” Gould said.

“Sakic is genuinely one of the greatest players of all time, someone who I’d put roughly on par with Crosby. Roy is second only to Hasek among all goaltenders for me, but unlike Hasek in Detroit, Roy actually played a substantial chunk of his career in Colorado and won two Cups there as a starter.”

Before changing his mind to the Edmonton Oilers with Connor McDavid, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey, Larkin initially favoured the Detroit Red Wings, claiming Gordie Howe, Nicklas Lidstrom, Dominik Hasek, and Steve Yzerman.

“This quartet boasts, in my opinion, the best power forward ever, the second-best defenseman ever, the best goalie ever, and a top-20ish player who happens to also be my favorite player ever,” Larkin said.

Howe, known for the infamous ‘Gordie Howe Hat trick’ – which includes a player collecting a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game, ironically only having two himself – recorded 786 goals with the Red Wings and 1023 points while winning four Stanley Cup Championships (1950, 1952, 1954, 1955).

Lindstrom, a defensive powerhouse, also secured four Cups (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008). Hasek left a significant mark on the organization in his brief four-year tenure. At the same time, Yzerman, a franchise legend, played all 22 years of his career with Detroit, scoring 692 goals and 1755 points and winning three Stanley Cup Championships (1997, 1998, 2002). Additionally, the defenceman won seven Norris Trophies during his time and led all defencemen in franchise history in nearly every statistical category.

Ellis argued in favour of the Montreal Canadiens picking Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Patrick Roy, and Guy Lafleur but argued for other players who have graced the roster as well, such as Jacques Plante and Howie Morenz.

“There’s no team with Montreal’s history,” Ellis said. “And there’s a reason they lead the way, championship-wise. Even if we just looked at goaltenders, it beats out most NHL teams. Just insane.”

Finally, Servalli decided upon the Boston Bruins, laying claim to Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, Patrice Bergeron, and Phil Esposito, describing them as a “lethal group.”

Orr revolutionized the defensive game for the league and became widely known as one of the greatest players of all time. Throughout 10 years with the franchise, Orr recorded 264 goals and 888 points and aided the Bruins in capturing two Stanley Cup Championships (1970 and 1972) while winning an armful of awards.

Bourque, too, was a highly regarded blueliner, winning five Norris Trophies with the Bruins, establishing himself as one of the franchise’s most sought-after defenders. Bergeron spent all 19 years with Boston, winning his first and only Stanley Cup in 2011. He recorded 427 goals and 1040 points with the Bruins. Esposito re-wrote the record book during eight seasons, with the Bruins leading the league in goals six times. He won the Art Ross Trophy five times and captured two Stanley Cup Championships with the Bruins (1970 and 1972).