Filip Ruzicka had to cram an awful lot into just one month, but it all added up to what he called the best month of his life. And looking at everything that happened, you can see why.
It started with being selected by the Minnesota Wild in the fifth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft on June 27, a huge milestone for any young player. But just a day later he’d already moved on to the next milestone by attending his first NHL camp, and that was quickly followed by signing his Entry Level Contract, all in the span of less than three weeks. And somewhere amidst all those hockey milestones he found time to get his drivers’ license too.
“That was a pretty good month,” Ruzicka said. “That was the best month of my life so far, so many things happened. I’ve enjoyed this month, and this summer. It was good.”
The 6-foot-8 Czech netminder heard his name called 137th overall by Minnesota, becoming the first Wheat King selected on the day. His selection came after a stellar first season in North America in which he posted a 26-14-1 record in the regular season with a .906 save percentage and 3.19 GAA. His playoffs were even more impressive as he posted an incredible .936 save percentage.
“That was really cool, I didn’t expect it,” said Ruzicka of being drafted. “I was nervous a lot, so when I heard my name it was a very good moment.”
Ruzicka had little time to wrap his head around his selection. He was off to Minnesota for development camp the very next day and went right into a new environment full of NHL prospects. One of those prospects, Carter Klippenstein, was not only his former teammate with the Wheat Kings but also his former billet brother, which eased the transition.
“I enjoyed the first camp because I had Carter here,” he said. “It was all pretty fast because the morning after the draft I was on a plane, so that was pretty fast. It’s a good city and I enjoyed camp.”
The Wild must’ve enjoyed Ruzicka’s camp too. He signed his entry level contract on July 14, barely two weeks after camp ended, becoming the first member of the Wild’s last two draft classes to sign his ELC.
“I met with my agent and after I was in bed he called me saying the Wild had given me a contract,” said Ruzicka. “I was so happy.”
Ruzicka’s first season in North America started a little later than he’d have liked as he wasn’t able to join the Wheat Kings until October. But the towering goaltender loved his time in Brandon last year once he arrived, and every indication is he’ll be returning to the team for 2026-27, something he’s greatly looking forward to.
“My first year as a Wheat King was so good,” he said. “I enjoyed the group, the team, that was a pretty good season. I’m excited to be a Wheat King again and I’m excited to see all the boys and the staff again for sure.”
Ruzicka added the Wild have him doing some off-ice coordination work and a lot of skating drills to keep improving over the offseason.
