Wheat Kings netminder Ruzicka named Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Month for December
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced Brandon Wheat Kings netminder Filip Ruzicka has been named Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Month for December.
A 17-year-old product of Trinec, Czechia, Ruzicka went 7-0-0-0 with a 1.42 goals-against average, .955 save percentage, and one shutout during the month of the December, helping the Wheat Kings surge into fourth place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.
Ruzicka’s 422 minutes played ranked second among all WHL goaltenders in December, trailing only Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Evan Gardner of the Saskatoon Blades, who saw a WHL-leading 425 minutes of action. With 210 saves, Ruzicka knocked away the third most pucks of all WHL goaltenders during the previous month. His seven wins led the entire WHL in December.
Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Ruzicka was named Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending Sunday, December 28, after recording his first career WHL shutout in a 31-save, 3-0 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The 6-foot-7, 230-pound puckstopper won seven consecutive starts from December 3-28. In four of those games, he was called upon to make 30 or more saves, including a month-high 37 stops in a 3-2 overtime triumph against the Calgary Hitmen on Friday, December 19.
Over the course of his seven-game winning streak, Ruzicka knocked off the Saskatoon Blades, Moose Jaw Warriors (twice), Kelowna Rockets, Edmonton Oil Kings, Red Deer Rebels, and Hitmen.
In an impressive win over the Central Division-leading Oil Kings on Sunday, December 14, Ruzicka was named first star of the game, turning aside 32 shots to backstop the Wheat Kings to a 4-2 win in a road game where they were outshot 34-19.
Selected by the Wheat Kings in the second round (104th overall) of the 2025 CHL Import Draft, Ruzicka is 16-5-0-0 with a 2.87 GAA, .911 SV%, and one shutout, to start his WHL career. He ranks among the WHL leaders in major goaltending categories, including wins (T-1st) and save percentage (fifth).
Heading into the weekend, the Wheat Kings (22-13-1-0) rank fourth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, having gone 8-2-0-0 over their previous 10 games.
Next up, Ruzicka and the Wheat Kings visit the Saskatoon Blades (20-14-2-1) in an all-important East Division showdown on Saturday, January 3 at 7 p.m. CT.
Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Month
September / October: Andrew Reyelts, Penticton Vees
November: Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
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