The Colorado Avalanche will be without winger Valeri Nichushkin for several months as he enters Stage 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program.
The announcement came hours before the Avalanche faced the Dallas Stars in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. This is his second time on the program this season, and being in Stage 3 means he violated the program’s rules.
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Colorado Avalanche No. 13 Valeri Nichushkin skates in warm-ups prior to Game 3 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena on May 11, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. . (Ashley Potts/NHLI via Getty Images)
“Under the terms of the joint program, Mr. Nichushkin will be suspended without pay for a minimum period of six months, after which he will be eligible to apply for reinstatement,” the joint statement said.
He led the team with nine goals in the playoffs.
Nichushkin was sidelined for nearly two months at the beginning of the season while receiving care from the program for an undisclosed issue. This came on the heels of him missing the final five games of last season’s playoff elimination for what the team called personal reasons.
He left the team for personal reasons during the Avalanche’s playoff series against the Seattle Kraken last season. His absence began before Game 3 when police were called to a hotel for an emergency. A 28-year-old woman was reportedly in the ambulance when police arrived, and medics were told to speak with an Avalanche team doctor to gather details.
Colorado Avalanche No. 13 Valeri Nichushkin prepares for a first-period showdown against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 5 of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Canada Life Center on April 30, 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. . (Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
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According to a Seattle police report, an Avalanche doctor told officers that team personnel found the woman when they checked on Nichushkin, the Associated Press reported. The doctor told officers that the woman was so intoxicated that she was unable to leave the hotel in a taxi or otherwise, and that she requested EMS assistance.
“I know you guys want to find something there, but there’s nothing really interesting. I think it should be shut down,” he said when asked about the incident before the season.
FILE – Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin celebrates a goal during the second period of the NHL hockey team’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, February 4, 2020 in Buffalo, New York. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Burns, File)
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In the 2023-24 season, he played in 54 games, scoring 28 goals and scoring 53 points.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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