Coyotes cutting Adam Ruzicka after apparent cocaine video - ESPN

The Arizona Coyotes have put forward Adam Ruzicka on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract.

The move comes after Ruzicka posted to his Instagram stories a video of himself with a white powder appearing to be cocaine and a credit card on a counter.

The Coyotes announced Friday that Ruzicka was going on waivers for termination purposes and said they would have no further comment at this time.

Ruzicka, 24, is in the second season of a two-year contract worth $1.525 million. He has been with the Coyotes for about a month since they claimed him off waivers from the Calgary Flames on Jan. 25.

The center from Slovakia has no points in three games with Arizona after posting nine points in 39 games with Calgary. He has played in 117 career NHL games since making his debut in April 2021.

Ruzicka is the second NHL player this season to have his contract terminated, following Corey Perry with the Chicago Blackhawks after the team said the veteran winger violated team workplace policy. The NHL Players' Association asked for and was granted an extension of the window for Perry to file a grievance, and he has since joined the Edmonton Oilers.

The NHL has punished players for off-ice conduct such as Ruzicka's in the past. Washington's Evgeny Kuznetsov was suspended three games in 2019 for «inappropriate conduct,» less than a month after he was banned from playing for Russia for four years because of a positive test for cocaine.

Kuznetsov faced allegations of drug use at the world championships that year after a video posted on social media showed him near a table with lines of white powder and American dollar bills.