By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Hundreds of National Hockey League players have donned the Boston Bruins iconic “Spoked B” throughout the team’s one-hundred-year history. Some played just a handful of games in the black and gold, and others stuck around for well over one thousand games with the team. Others, like Vladimír Růžička, seemingly came out of nowhere to tear it up with Boston and vanish just as quickly as their tenure began.
Růžička started his playing career at 16 years old with HC Litvinov in the then-Soviet Bloc nation of Czechoslovakia. He quickly made a name for himself, scoring ten seconds into his debut in 1979 and amassing 76 points in 94 games before his 19th birthday. Růžička entered the 1982 NHL Draft and was selected in the fourth round, 73rd overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Růžička was initially blocked from moving to the NHL by the Soviet-affiliated Czechoslovakian government, who were reluctant to see their best players leave for North America, and continued his career in the domestic league. Růžička spent seven and a half additional seasons in the Czechoslovak First League, scoring 442 points in 313 games, winning Czech Player of the Year twice, and earning a silver medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
With the Communist government falling out of power in late 1989 and the new Democratic government forming, Růžička was finally free to move to North America and play in the NHL. Toronto still held Růžička’s draft rights at the time of his move but dealt them to the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth-round pick. Růžička made his NHL debut in January and would dress in 25 games for Edmonton, scoring 11 goals and 17 points. He would not appear for the Oilers in the playoffs as they defeated the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup.
In the offseason, Edmonton traded Růžička to those very same Bruins. He started his Boston tenure by scoring 16 points in his first 29 games but suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for the rest of the regular season. Růžička returned to the lineup for the playoffs, and that’s when the Bruins and the NHL finally got to see the force he was back in Europe. Růžička recorded two goals and 13 points in 17 playoff games as Boston made a second straight Conference Finals appearance. Eight of his points came in a two-game outburst against Pittsburgh to open the Conference Final, capping his efforts with an OT winner to put the Bruins up 2-0 in the series.
The following year, finally playing an entire, healthy season in North America, Růžička kept up his momentum from the playoffs and put together the best performance of his career. He finished the 1991-92 season with 39 goals and 75 points, the latter being a career-high across the NHL and Czechoslovakian League, and was second on the Bruins in scoring behind only Ray Bourque. He was no shrinking violet either, getting in the mix after the whistle on more than one occasion.
While still a productive forward in 1992-93, Růžička struggled again with injuries. He scored 41 points in 60 games but missed the playoffs as Buffalo swept the Bruins in the first round. An expiring free agent in the offseason, Růžička signed with the Ottawa Senators. He ended his Boston tenure with 132 points in 166 games and 18 points in 30 playoff games. Růžička’s time in Ottawa would be even more brief, as he left the team after 42 games, opting to return home.
Růžička finished his career with Slavia Praha in the Czech Republic, captaining his country to the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and retiring at the end of the 1999-2000 season. Following his playing career, Růžička transitioned into a coaching role with HC Slavia Praha and internationally. As the head coach of the Czech National Team, Růžička has won gold at a pair of World Championships.
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