He was unceremoniously dumped by the Arizona Coyotes back in February 2024 but, according to reports out of Slovakia, Adam Ružička might soon be back in the NHL.
Ružička, 26, played in the KHL for Spartak Moscow last season and, according to Šport.sk, that club is very interested in re-signing the Slovak forward.
“Negotiations are still ongoing,” Spartak senior advisor and former NHLer Valeri Kamensky is quoted. “In the case of a player like Ružička, it’s a longer process. However, I believe that he is waiting for a specific offer from the NHL, as that is his dream. That’s why everything is dragging on a bit.”
No specific NHL team is mentioned.
Ružička had 40 points in 114 games for the Calgary Flames between 2021 and 2024. In late January 2024, he was claimed on waivers by Arizona. However, after just three games for the Coyotes, Ružička was placed on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract after he posted a video on his Instagram account that showed a line of white powder and a credit card. The video was quickly removed.
Adam Ružička & Mário Grman sign with KHL clubs; Hockey Slovakia to vote on the national team issueIn two separate announcements on Wednesday, two Slovak players signed with KHL clubs. Center Adam Ružička signed with Spartak Moscow and defenseman Mário Grman with Admiral Vladivoskok.
Last season, Ružička had 45 points in 65 regular-season games for Spartak and 12 more points in 12 playoff games. Spartak finished third in the KHL’s Western Conference and was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.
At the time he signed with Spartak, Ružička was quoted, “I’m glad that everything turned out this way. I’m especially excited that I’ll be playing alongside my sister’s husband, Michal Čajkovský.”
Interestingly, Čajkovský, a defenseman who was a member of Slovakia’s 2022 bronze-medal-winning Olympic team, has recently left the team and is also a free agent.
It’s worth considering that Ružička’s attempt to move back to the NHL, or at least out of the KHL, might be partly motivated by his wish to play in the upcoming Winter Olympics. While Hockey Slovakia reversed its ban on KHL players last summer, the issue has been controversial among Slovak fans, media and players.
Martin Pospíšil after Olympic qualifiers: “It was never anything against the players” from the KHL Martin Pospíšil was calm and reflective after Slovakia’s 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan on Sunday in Bratislava, which qualified the team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Last summer, brothers Martin and Kristián Pospišíl were vocal about their hesitation to play alongside KHLers at the Olympic qualifiers – eventually choosing to do so. That team did qualify for the Olympics but at the most recent IIHF World Championship, the Slovaks were unable to convince any full-time NHLers to play. That team, which did include two active KHLers, failed to make the quarterfinals.
One has to think that, if it comes down to a choice, KHL players might be omitted from selection if it would pacify NHLers.
Ružička’s only appearance for Slovakia’s senior men’s national team was in qualifying for the 2022 Olympics. Previously, he played in three IIHF World Junior Championships.
Photo © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.
Predicting Slovakia's 2026 Olympic roster By winning their group at the final round of qualifying this past weekend, the Slovaks have qualified for the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.