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2003-04 OHL Top Rookie Scorer Enters 3rd Season In KHL
Filed under RussiaNov 6
Stefan Ruzicka on the right with fellow OHL grad, Branko Radivojevic.
Stefan Ruzicka is now entering his third season in Russia’s KHL. The native of Slovakia and Ontario Hockey League grad has become a mainstay of HC Spartak Moskva (Moscow) and is under contract through the 2011-12 season.
Ruzicka played two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, 2003-04 and 2004-05, both with the Owen Sound Attack. He was the third overall pick in the 2003 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. Over 62 games, his 34 goals, 38 assists and 72 points in his first season were all league bests among rookies. The following season, his point total dropped to 70 points while once again appearing in 62 games with the Attack.
Stefan was taken by the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round of the 2003 NHL draft, 81st overall. From 2005-06 to 2007-08, Ruzicka split his time between the NHL club and the American Hockey League’s Philadelphia Phantoms. In all, he played in 55 NHL games and 166 games in the AHL before jumping continents to play in the KHL.
Five times to date, Ruzicka has represented his homeland, Slovakia, on the international stage. In 2002 and 2003, he appeared at the Under-18 IIHF World Hockey Championships. In 2003, he contributed eight points in seven games as the Slovaks made it to the finals before losing out to Team Canada and, therefore, taking the silver medal. His eight points placed him 11th among tournament scorers and one point behind the great Evgeny Malkin.
In 2004 and 2005, Stefan played in the Under-20 IIHF World Hockey Championships. He contributed at a point per game pace over both tournaments with the team reaching the quarter finals in 2004 and sweeping the relegation round in 2005. In 2009, he played for the men’s version of Team Slovakia at the World Hockey Championships.
Check out Stefan Ruzicka’s profile page on the HC Spartak Moskva official website.
Stefan and well over 600 other Ontario Hockey League grads can be found on the OHL Alumni Central Big List. Stay tuned to The Big List to find where all your favourite grads are to be found in the great big world of professional hockey.
One Response to “2003-04 OHL Top Rookie Scorer Enters 3rd Season In KHL”
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OHL Alumni Central » Blog Archive » Radivojevic Named Captain Of KHL’s HC Spartak Moskva said on November 8th, 2010 at 6:02 am
[...] for HC Spartak Moskva (Moscow) of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. Yesterday it was Stefan Ruzicka. Today it’s Branko [...]
