The Arizona Coyotes have placed forward Adam Ruzicka on unconditional waivers in order to terminate his contract, according to an announcement from the team. The Coyotes also stated that the team will have no further comment at this time.
The roster move comes after Ruzicka posted a video on social media that showed himself with a white powder substance that appeared to be cocaine and a credit card on a counter.
Ruzicka is currently in the second season of a two-year deal that is worth $1.525 million in total. The 24-year-old forward was claimed off of waiver from the Calgary Flames by the Coyotes on Jan. 25. In three games with Arizona, the Slovakian forward had registered no points in three games.
Ruzicka has appeared in 117 NHL games since breaking into the NHL back in April 2021.
Ruzicka is the second NHL player that has had his contract terminated by the league. Veteran forward Corey Perry had his contract terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks after they stated that Perry violated workplace policies. Perry has since signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
The NHL has dealt with similar conduct when it comes to a player in the past. Washington Capitals winger Evgeny Kuznetsov was suspended for three games back in 2019 for “inappropriate conduct” after he tested positive for cocaine. Kuznetsov had faced allegations of drug use at the world championships that year after a video surfaced on social media that showed him close to a table with lines of white powder and American dollar bills.
