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Former Calgary Flames player gets booted from KHL team for bizarre reason

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Mar 18 2026, 5:44 pm
Former Calgary Flames player gets booted from KHL team for bizarre reason
Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

Former Calgary Flames forward Adam Ruzicka is looking for a new team once again.

The 26-year-old, who recently represented Slovakia at the Olympics, has had an impressive KHL season to date, scoring 16 goals and 40 points in 51 games. Despite sitting second in team scoring, however, Moscow Spartak has announced that they have terminated Ruzicka’s contract.

According to Russian outlet Match TV, there were several issues between the team and Ruzicka before things finally boiled over prior to a game versus Ak Bars on March 10.

“Adam Ruzicka was [set to be] in the lineup on March 10 before a game against Ak Bars Kazan (1ā€“4) in Kazan,” a snippet from Match TV reads (translated from Russian to English via Google Translate). “However, before the match, he approached the coaches and said he would not play. After that, he left Kazan for Moscow on his own. Later, when Ruzicka tried to make amends and apologize, the team did not accept him.”

The report also states that Ruzicka, who was in his second season with Spartak, had been causing disruption in the dressing room throughout the entire 2025-26 campaign.

It is also being reported that because the contract was terminated due to a breach of obligations by Ruzicka, he will be required to pay his now former team. Spartak has filed a report stating that he walked out on a game, which, according to league regulations, will require Ruzicka to pay the money stipulated in his contract.

This isn’t the first time that Ruzicka has had his contract terminated.

After being placed on waivers by the Flames and acquired by the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24, the 6-foot-4 forward suited up for just three games with his new team before uploading a video of himself on Instagram showing off a white powder resembling cocaine. He was placed on unconditional waivers in order to have his contract terminated the very next day.

“I made a big mistake and I’m going to learn from my mistakes,” Ruzicka wrote days after the incident. “I love you all and I am forever grateful for you all.”

Ruzicka, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, suited up for 114 games over the course of four seasons with the Flames. He racked up 14 goals and 40 points over that span.

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