Contract Termination: [ARI] F Adam Ruzicka contract terminated by the Coyotes

[andora]

That part about PR is what worries me. Did the Coyotes just give a disincentive to any other players in that org to seek help?

I think that's one way to look at it however I don't think it's definitive if it does that or not in reality. It's a shot across the bow saying if you need help come to us or we will not tolerate it

 

[SoundAndFury]

So one thing I don't understand is why do some players get the chance to enter the player's assistance program while others have their contract terminated?

Some players either quietly accept or get pressured into accepting they need help and enter the program while the others post fun story on their insta damaging their reputation forever. Pretty easy.

 

[Canadienna]

Some players either quietly accept or get pressured into accepting they need help and enter the program while the others post fun story on their insta damaging their reputation forever. Pretty easy.

I guess what I would hope is that after an event like this the team at least gives the player an opportunity to join the PAP and not void their contract.

And if they decline, then they can terminate the contract.

 

[YippieKaey]

Im gonna try this at my job. Just need a bigger salary so i can afford the coke.

 

[Bruce Granville]

https://genius.com/3055254/Kristen-...uild-a-snowman/It-doesnt-have-to-be-a-snowman
Unfortunate the video cut before his performance…

Do you wanna build a snowman?
Come on let's go and play
I never see you any more
Come out the door
It's like you've gone away!
We used to be best buddies
And now we're not
I wish you would tell me why
Do you wanna build a snowman?
It doesn't have to be a snowman…

(Go away, Adam)

 

[mouser]

Totally. Kuznetsov did the same thing and even tested positive for cocaine and he's still under contract.

Ruzicka, to my knowledge, didn't even test positive. He was just dumb enough to post a video indicating he might have done cocaine but that's no proof for anything and even if it was I still don't think that's a reason for contract termination.

So I agree I don't think the PA is gonna accept this.

Kuznetsov is still under contract, but I’m pretty certain he has been suspended without pay. No update on if and when he might be reinstated.

So one thing I don't understand is why do some players get the chance to enter the player's assistance program while others have their contract terminated?

I understand that not every player may be willing to enter the program, but is that the distinction?

I suspect with Ruzicka he’s not being terminated for having a substance abuse issue. He’s being terminated for voluntarily posting a social media video of himself appearing to do drugs—conduct causing damaging PR for his employer, the Coyotes.

Will be interesting to see if the NHLPA files a grievance, and if so will the Team’s argument be upheld by the arbitrator.

 

[lakai17]

Seems like recording yourself doing cocaine isn't a great idea if you want to maintain your job with an NHL team.

But I'm sure he'll find a new home in KHL.

The khl will welcome him with open arms. They're still waiting on Kuzy coming home

 

[Hinterland]

Kuznetsov is still under contract, but I’m pretty certain he has been suspended without pay. No update on if and when he might be reinstated.



I suspect with Ruzicka he’s not being terminated for having a substance abuse issue. He’s being terminated for voluntarily posting a social media video of himself appearing to do drugs—conduct causing damaging PR for his employer, the Coyotes.

Will be interesting to see if the NHLPA files a grievance, and if so will the Team’s argument be upheld by the arbitrator.

Thanks. That does make sense. I still think the PA is gonna come in on this though...

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Im gonna try this at my job. Just need a bigger salary so i can afford the coke.

I hear bath salts are a cheaper option....probably a much crazier story as well!

 

[luiginb]

Hey now we don’t KNOW he’s doing cocaine…

He could very easily be doing ketamine!

Don't you shoot that? Back in my day that's what people used to do with K.

 

[rt]

i expect the NHLPA to go nuts on this

the player assistance program exists... so i do think the termination will end up being reversed at some point

Having a drug problem doesn’t get your contract terminated. Posting a video of yourself online doing drugs gets your contract terminated. It’s the most clear cut example of detrimental conduct. If you were explaining what that was, you’d probably explain a scenario a lot like this.

Didn’t Stoll and Richards get their contracts terminated for wild, drug fueled shenanigans?

 

[DFF]

Having a drug problem doesn’t get your contract terminated. Posting a video of yourself online doing drugs gets your contract terminated. It’s the most clear cut example of detrimental conduct. If you were explaining what that was, you’d probably explain a scenario a lot like this.

Didn’t Stoll and Richards get their contracts terminated for wild, drug fueled shenanigans?

Nah, he was a reclamation project
Doing something stupid while on the reclamation project got him terminated.

If he was a regular, they would have asked him to go to rehab temporarily

 

[GordieHowYaDoin]

You can add LeVeon Bell to your list. He left two naked hookers in his house when he left for the gym. They stole about $500K in cash and jewelry he had laying around the house. The 911 call was posted online - - it was hilarious. That was a very expensive threesome. Lol.

Lol this is the most basketball American thing I've heard in awhile. No wonder a vast majority go into bankruptcy.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Lol this is the most basketball American thing I've heard in awhile. No wonder a vast majority go into bankruptcy.

LeVeon Bell was a football player. He spent his best years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, drafted out of Michigan State. In fact, he pulled another stupid move apart from getting robbed by the hookers. He turned down a $60M contract extension from Pittsburgh, sat out an entire season holding out for more money, and ended up signing a contract worth half that with the NY Jets. Sitting out for a year pretty much ruined him as a player, so the Jets dumped him and he only received a small amount of that contract - - NFL contracts are usually not all guaranteed money.

Bell was several pancakes shy of a full stack.

 

[Brookbank]

Still not clear on what he did.

It didn't look smart or safe whatever that was.

It is no less clear than when Matthews did a similar thing

 

[Kendo]

The only way this makes sense is if he refused the PAP. It was just the dumbest thing to do, and everyone's getting their coke puns in, but this is a human being that has an obvious problem. I hope he straightens his shit out and not mortgage his entire career over doing something that gets kids kicked out of college fairly regularly.

He still has a little bit of potential, so if he's actually remorseful and learned something, he's worth a minimum contract for a bot 6 tryout. Maybe he dgaf and wants to go back to Europe anyway and this was a quick out for him, who knows.

 

[PhysicalGraffiti]

Stupid stupid move. You're on a new team and have a chance to show you've got the talent people thought.

Then to do this? What part of him thought it would be a funny or good idea?

I'd like to see him get another flier with someone else this season, but this really puts that in doubt.

 

[rt]

Stupid stupid move. You're on a new team and have a chance to show you've got the talent people thought.

Then to do this? What part of him thought it would be a funny or good idea?

I think the simplest explanation is that he was very high on drugs.

 

[PhysicalGraffiti]

I think the simplest explanation is that he was very high on drugs.

Lol, fair enough. I've never done cocaine so I can't relate.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Bro really snitched on himself

 

[samsagat]

He crossed a line and paid a high price for it

 

[Trash Panda]

Having a drug problem doesn’t get your contract terminated. Posting a video of yourself online doing drugs gets your contract terminated. It’s the most clear cut example of detrimental conduct. If you were explaining what that was, you’d probably explain a scenario a lot like this.

Didn’t Stoll and Richards get their contracts terminated for wild, drug fueled shenanigans?

Stoll was a standup teammate who took the fall for a large group of that team who were… indulging. Dude took it on the chin for his buddies.

Richards was a lot more complicated… as he got caught with some pain pills at the Canadian/US border, which gave the NHLPA the ammunition they needed to arrange a buyout number. Guy is gonna be paid by the kings for the next decade.