Filip Ruzicka

Filip Ruzicka (Czech: Filip Růžička) is a goaltender selected by the Minnesota Wild in the fifth round (137th overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft — and one of the biggest netminders ever drafted, listed anywhere from 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-8. Born March 24, 2008 in Třinec, Czechia and developed at Mountfield HK, the left-catching giant found his position simply: "I didn't like skating much, so I wanted to be in goal," he says.

The signature night came in his first WHL playoff series: 64 saves in a 1-0 triple-overtime game against Calgary, called the longest 1-0 game of the WHL's internet era — "the best goaltending duel I've seen," said Brandon's broadcaster. He earned WHL Goaltender of the Month for December on the strength of a 7-0 run (1.42 GAA, .955), finishing 26-14-1 with a .906 save percentage as a rookie despite a transfer delay that cost him training camp. He's only the second import goaltender in Wheat Kings history, after NHLer Jiří Patera.

NHL Central Scouting rated him the No. 4 North American goaltender, and scouts love how he seals the bottom of the net and tracks pucks through traffic.

This page gathers Ruzicka's numbers, measurements, and draft details in one place. InGoal Magazine will expand its coverage as his career develops.