"The lesson is just don’t take videos" - NHL fans left debating over Adam Ruzicka's statement of apology

NHL fans are reacting and debating following Slovakian center Adam Ruzicka's public apology on Instagram after his contract was terminated with the Arizona Coyotes. The controversial social media video that led to the termination has sparked various opinions and speculations among the hockey community.

In the Instagram post, Ruzicka expressed remorse for his actions.

"I made a big mistake and I’m going to learn from my mistakes. I love you all and I am forever grateful to you all," he wrote.

The Reddit community, particularly the r/hockey subreddit, quickly picked up on the Instagram story screenshot, triggering a series of reactions.

[Adam Ruzicka on Instagram] I made a big mistake and I’m going to learn from my mistakes. I love you all and I am forever grateful to you all byu/Amphibious_Fire inhockey

One fan, adopting a somewhat lighthearted perspective:

"I mean he was clearly not hiding his drugs in his video lol. The lesson is probably more just don’t take videos while coked out."

Comment byu/Amphibious_Fire from discussion inhockey

Another fan speculated on the possibility that Ruzicka's actions were a deliberate attempt to exit the Arizona Coyotes:

"Or buddy just really wanted out of Arizona"

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One fan took a more nuanced stance, emphasizing the importance of professionalism for a hockey player:

"Not properly hiding your drugs while filming yourself or being filmed is a rookie mistake. Part of being a professional hockey player is knowing how and when to hide and take your drugs. He'll learn from this and come back better for it."

Comment byu/Amphibious_Fire from discussion inhockey

The discussion didn't stop there, as another fan asked whether Ruzicka would receive different treatment if he were a franchise player:

"If he was a franchise player, he would be offered a treatment program."

Comment byu/Amphibious_Fire from discussion inhockey

Comment byu/Amphibious_Fire from discussion inhockey

Comment byu/Amphibious_Fire from discussion inhockey

Comment byu/Amphibious_Fire from discussion inhockey

Comment byu/Amphibious_Fire from discussion inhockey

Comment byu/Amphibious_Fire from discussion inhockey

Adam Ruzicka's footage and Slovak Ice Hockey Association's condemnation

The Arizona Coyotes terminated the contract of Slovakian forward Adam Ruzicka after he cleared unconditional waivers, triggered by a controversial video posted on social media.

The footage shows Ruzicka near a white powder resembling cocaine and a credit card. The Coyotes, waiving him for termination, said they would not comment further on the matter.

The Slovak Ice Hockey Federation expressed disappointment:

"The Slovak Ice Hockey Association condemns the behavior of Adam Ruzicka, which is not in accordance with the values of the representative, and therefore we do not count on him in the nomination for the preliminary matches and the World Championships in May."

Hockey Slovakia condemns behaviour of Adam Ruzicka that doesn’t align with that of a national team player. We don’t intend to call him up for pre-tournament games and World Championships byu/Amphibious_Fire inhockey

Joining the Coyotes just a month before from the Calgary Flames, Adam Ruzicka's contract was in the second season of a two-year $1.525 million deal. It has been terminated despite a short stint where he failed to score any points.