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Coyotes to Waive Adam Ruzicka, Will Terminate Contract

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jacob Billington | Last updated 2/23/24

The Arizona Coyotes have placed forward Adam Ruzicka on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination. Almost a month after being claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames, the Coyotes have decided to part ways with the 24-year-old forward.

#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, 2024

Through 42 games this season, Ruzicka has posted three goals and nine points. He is a defensively sound bottom-six forward who had a bit of an offensive spark in the 2022-23 season with 20 points in 44 games.

The sixth-round 2017 draft pick has been up and down between the American Hockey League and the NHL, and has finally started to find some consistency at the NHL level. Ruzicka is in the second year of a two-year deal paying him an average of $762,500 per season.

Ruzicka’s Video Led To Termination

The termination of Ruzicka’s contract comes just hours after released footage was found on his Instagram page of him with a credit card and a line of a white powdery substance on his counter. Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov shared a very similar video on his social media in 2019, which the NHL followed up on by handing him a three-game suspension for “inappropriate conduct”.

After clearing unconditional waivers, Ruzicka will become an unrestricted free agent and will be free to sign with another NHL team, provided the league does not intervene.

The NHL and the Coyotes have both declined to release a statement at this time, outside of the contract being terminated.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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